Wednesday 2: A Halloween To Remember
by Smack Dab
Summary: Upon keeping his end of the bargain with the Addams, Stewart is home-free to continue his plans for Halloween. That is until he receives yet another letter from them, an invitation to participate in a little contest, with a grand prize for the winner. Will Stewart accept the challenge to participate, or will he merely play it safe as he did before?
1. A Storm's Brewing

**Author's Note: Whelp...here it is!! From the 2 reviewers that were so kind as to request a sequel (Guest and jesterking1 respectively), I wholeheartedly thank you and appreciate you giving me the incentive necessary to continue this chapter in young Stewart's life. I can only hope this sequel lives up to the original's quality, if not perhaps transcending it out-right. With that being said, please sit down, strap in, and get ready for the wildest Halloween of your natural born LIFE!!!****Content Warning: The following story is rated T for mature language, some violence, and detailed descriptions of intense or otherwise frightening scenes. Due to the more serious tone of this story, viewer discretion is advised.****Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing pertaining to the Addams Family, beyond this personalized work of fiction. Thank you. :)**

Hey everyone, it's me again.

So overall, things have returned to normal for me...well, I guess the term "more or less" is in order here. Wednesday has randomly pulled a Houdini in the last week. I have no idea where she disappeared to, but according to Ms. Palmer, her family is preparing for a family tradition of tremendous importance. Her parents are apparently having her home schooled during this time, which worked miracles for me as I no longer had to deal with her death stares during class. She could be on the damned moon for all I know though, so it's anybody's guess to be honest.

I myself was quite enjoying quality time with me, my friends, and of course the family. Besides that, I've also been throughly excited for this year's Halloween, which I've been preparing for this whole year. Before I get into details as to what those plans even are, I should mention that although things have been fine for the most part...there has been a couple of..."odd" occurances going on lately.

It only happens whenever I've been boarding alone, either when the sun is going down, or at night. When I'm riding down a street, I sometimes see whom I believe to be Wednesday, staring me down in her usual, terrifying way. This tends to happen most commonly when I'm passing by a street light, or just as I'm about to cross through traffic. I can't explain why this has been happening exactly, but all I can hope for is that it passes by the time Halloween is over. Speaking of which, allow me to get into the details regarding my year's worth of planning for this one day of the year.

Me and my friends have come up with a plan to reach the richest houses before anyone else does. Over this past year, we've intensely researched our neighborhood for secret short-cuts, and memorized every house's location from top to bottom. Eventually, we decided on creating a map to catalogue where everyone and everything was. With all this in mind, the plan boils down to the 5 of us splitting up in separate directions to raid as many houses as possible while riding our boards. Once each of us have completed one specific lane or street, we then regroup back at our original gathering point to start another one. Then afterward, we tally up our collective spoils in one large pile, and divide each individual share equally.

Not to sound immodest, but I was pretty proud of myself for having pitched the idea initially. I'm not what one would call a braniac by any means, but I do have a knack for coming up with plans and minor strategies to get the things I want. It's the primary method I take when faced with trouble over the use of my fists. My friends weren't too thrilled with the idea at first, but it didn't take long for them to come around when I mentioned the amount of candy each of us would be going home with.

Anyway, the blessed day of Halloween was nearly upon us. I squeezed my black marker in my left hand with more force than necessary as I crossed off the days on my calender that were left remaining. It was the 28th of October, just 3 more days to go before a year's worth of planning would come to fruition. To make things even sweeter, Halloween just so happened to be on a Friday, which meant 2 free whole days of doing nothing but the kind of stuff I liked. It's hard to imagine a way to make this scenario anymore perfect than it was, but I can't say I'm complaining about the way things are looking so far.

_However_...if there was one potential black cloud hanging over this scenario, it would be the fact Paul wanted in on our plans. As you might expect, just like in much every other walk of my life, trick-or-treating with my little brother was a massive pain in the ass. For starters, he enjoys making smart-ass comments on other kids costumes, which in turn brings on a whole mess of trouble for me. He also whines that the houses we go to never have his favorite kind of candy. This in turn led to him throwing a huge tantrum a couple years back, which cost me a large amount of time and even got me banned from a couple of houses. Lastly, he has a tendency to rip his own treat bag from the bottom when he isn't careful, forcing me to give him the bulk of my own spoils so he won't squeal to mom and dad about it.

I couldn't dare say no to him though, as I still owed him for his support with the Addams family. He obviously knew that, and this was simply his way of milking this leverage on me for all it was worth. If all else failed, he'd just tattle on mom and dad that I wasn't coming clean on my debts, and I couldn't risk pissing my parents off so close to Halloween. They were quite pleased with me at the moment with how I handled things with the Addams, and there was no way I intended to ruin that at such a critical moment in time.

That said, I decided not to tell my friends that Paul would be joining us, at least not for the moment. It was important that we all understood the plan and how to optimize our collective efforts in scoring as much candy as possible. If anyone was gonna be walking away with anything, we all needed to work together here. I didn't put together a year long plan just to see it blow up in my face. Failure was **NOT** an option!

Anyhow, on a bright and beautiful Tuesday morning, I rocketed my way to school via my board with all the speed and velocity I could muster. I just had to get through a couple more days before I got to enjoy the most satisfying Halloween I'd ever had. The day itself went by normally, if not painfully so. Ms. Palmer briefly mentioned Wednesday's absence once again, as well as the upcoming Halloween dance this Friday. A dance I had positively zero intention of attending as I had far more important plans in scoring the biggest load of candy I'd ever nailed on Halloween before. Not to mention I didn't even have a date to it anyhow (not that I cared in the slightest anyway).

At lunch, me and my buds began to discuss some intimate details regarding our plan once again. I could tell they were all just as excited as I was, perhaps even more so. Jason spoke up first as he was curious about how many streets we could cover before having to return home. Jason was a light-skinned boy with Italian and Irish ancestry. He had short, brown hair. A white, sleeveless, buttoned polo shirt, black sweat pants, small, black leather gloves which covered his palms and thumbs, leaving the rest of his fingers exposed, and black sneakers.

"How many streets can we cover before the rents expect us back? We've been working out this plan all year, and we can't afford to miss any openings on scoring candy."

Tommy piped in shortly after Jason finished making a rather valid point. He was a black kid with an orange sweater, a slightly spiked up afro, light blue jeans, and white sneakers.

"I gotta agree with Jason on this one. Between the dozens of competition we'll be working around, every last house we can reach counts here. We've got 2 key advantages in mobility with our wheels, as well as our team-work, but what if we miss out on our favorite brands of candy at the hands of someone else?"

Bobby to my right stopped shoving food in his gaping gullet long enough to speak his peace on behalf of the plan. We hadn't been getting along the best since the whole "Wednesday" fiasco, and he's been getting worringly obsessive with how the spoils would be shared amongst the 5 of us. Given that blunt description of his eating habits, you may have guessed he's a rather heavy-set kid. He had fair skin, blonde curly hair, a medium sized green jacket, a large white T-shirt, and somewhat tattered black dress slacks.

"Hey yeah, that reminds me! How do we know who gets what when it's all said and done? Eh, Stewart?"

I repressed the urge to drag my knuckles across my forehead as Bobby was already beginning to try my patience. I calmly explained before that whatever candy we can't nab ourselves, we could just as easily share with one another. Bobby of course being what he is, didn't accept that response as he believed I planned on keeping the best candy for myself. I just barely held together my composure as I gave a firm, yet polite response to his unwarranted criticism.

"Look Bobby. No matter what goes down on Halloween, the big take-away here is that everyone will be walking away with something. I can't promise we'll all be able to get exactly what we want, but isn't getting something at least better than nothing?"

He seemed satisifed with that answer...for the moment. The look in his eyes made it all too clear that he wasn't dropping the issue anytime soon though. Marcus, by far the most aloof member of my circle friends, soon perked up as he threw in his own 2 cents on the plan itself. He was the only hispanic kid amongst my little group of friends. He had short black hair with a bowl cut. A long black T-shirt that covered his upper body completely. A pair of long, black, cotton pants. A small bracelet he said his grandmother made for him around his right wrist, and those weird, "light em up", sneakers that kids our age wore from time to time.

"Yeah guys, Stewart's right. Whether or not we can get all our favorite kinds, in the end we're all getting something. Provided we stay mobile, stick to the plan, and carefully memorize every last detail on that map, things should go by smoothly enough."

I gently let out a relieved sigh as at least one of my friends possessed a modicum of faith in me. Having said that, Bobby's skepticism wasn't exactly what I'd call reassuring. I knew there'd inevitably be doubts with the plan, but with Halloween so close by, the very last thing we needed was to be fighting amongst each other. I resolved to handle this at a later date, as I still had to come up with a way to explain to them all that Paul would be accompanying us on Halloween.

After lunch, Ms. Palmer brought attention once more to the upcoming Halloween dance I mentioned before. I tuned her out as I had far more pressing matters to think about in the form of a crap-ton of candy. I know I'm getting a bit old for trick-or-treating and to have this much of a sweet tooth, but that was all the more reason why this Halloween was so special. It was one of the last Halloweens I'd be able to enjoy before I got too old for the yearly tradition. Additionally, with the more candy I managed to score this year, the longer I'd be set for the rest of my youth.

With school finally being over for the day, I raced back home on my board in a hurry. Now it was time to go over the details of the plan with my...**_yeech_**, dearly "beloved" brother. It's not like he wasn't smart enough to understand what the plan entailed, but his willingness to comply all depended on what I was willing to offer him in return. As you might have seen during the ordeal with the Addams, his few kindnesses toward me never came without some sort of price at the end. No doubt he'd want a sizable portion of my shares of the candy, and ontop of that he may even try to blackmail me into stealing some of my friend's shares as well. This wasn't going to be a pleasant experience for me, but almost nothing could compare to the nerve wracking, mental breakdown I suffered when Wednesday's family decided to visit me that day.

I ran up to the front door as my right hand fumbled with my pocket, eventually pulling out the key. As soon as I walked inside, I noticed my parents were peacefully watching a daytime movie while I was away. I quickly gave them both my usual greetings and small-talk regarding school, and then began to run my way up the stair-case. When I finally reached my room, Paul opened the door to greet my approach directly. He must have overheard my foot-steps as I was making my way up the stairs. Nonetheless, he slapped me five as we both made our way into our shared bedrooms.

Over the course of the next 30 minutes, I miraculously managed to not smash in one of our 2 windows north of our bedroom. Paul was purposely acting clueless and nonsensical just to piss me off, and in all fairness he certainly was bringing his A game in this effort! This forced me to reiterate every last detail of the plan post ad nauseam. I couldn't understand why he didn't save this juvenile, horse-shit for when after Halloween was over. He already annoyed me every other day of the year (holidays AND birthdays included). Why did he have to pick NOW to be a grating, little shit when the biggest Halloween of my life was just around the corner?!?

"Okay Paul...I am going to explain this to you just _one_ more time. _We_...that is to say; me, my friends...and sadly _you_, are going to meet up at this spot. Once we've done so, we're going to be hitting up every house that the street we've picked features. Once we've finished with that raid, we head back to the rendevouz point, and begin to work on another street."

I could tell he was listening by the way he nodded his head, but the look on his face made it all too clear he was only taking my words half-serious at best. I facepalmed with more force than I had intended, nearly knocking me off balance and falling butt-first to the floor. I managed to avoid such an embarassing fate as I planted both knees on the floor, now looking my brother in both of his eyes as he sat on the foot of his bed. I did what I had to in order to drill in the severity of him getting lost at some point in the night.

"During this time, you are to stay within my line of sight **AT. ALL. TIMES!!! **No exceptions. If you happen to get lost during the night, 2 things will happen. Firstly, I'll be spending the rest of that night into the wee hours of the morning looking for you, assuming the shock created by your disappearance doesn't put me into cardiac arrest. Secondly, our parents will tear the neighborhood in half in their efforts to find the both of us. While bearing in mind I'm the older sibling here...care to take a wild guess whom would take the blame for you going missing, or worse yet...something **awful** happening to you?"

At least on the surface, Paul finally seemed to be taking what I was saying seriously. His formerly cocky grin and flippant disposition began to darken somewhat. He soon began to frown as his eyes lost that devilish spark. Finally, I was starting to get through to him. I would have preferred not to have gone through an agonizing 30 minutes of exposition to do so, but just like I had stated before during the Addams Family's visit: better late than never.

Paul wasn't quite finished with his usual bratty routine however, and quickly regained his composure before granting me a slightly grumpy response.

"Okay Okay, I get the big picture here alright?!? Geez, do you always have to go full-blown "PSA" mode on me just to make a simple point? I promise I won't stray too far from your line of sight when we're out there. You weren't this jumpy back when your sweet, widdle, girlfriend paid us all a visit, along the rest of that mob of misfits she calls her family!"

My face instantly reddened as a mixture of emotions began to pour into me. One of said emotions was anger, and the other was of minor embarassment. I hated being reminded of that name as it brought to mind the visions I've been seeing lately. On the other hand, I felt embarassed as me and Wednesday kept being referenced as a couple despite neither of us even being friends. I wasn't a fan of the idea as the girl still vividly disturbed me alot, and with these weird visions I've been having lately, I couldn't afford to be distracted by these kinds of thoughts any longer.

"For the sake of more important matters, I'm just going to block out what you said. As long as you understand the plan, my work here is officially done."

Paul nodded his head absent-mindedly as he brought out his Game Boy Color out from the top-desk drawer. I was about to turn my back and head down-stairs to watch some TV, when suddenly loud knocking could be heard coming from the other end of the door. Confused and more than a little surprised, we both wondered what our parents could want from either of us at this hour. Seeing as how I was closest to the door, I decided to face whomever was on the other end myself.

Sure enough, my father was on the other end of the door waiting for us. He had an impatient and serious look on his face, as if though he was about to give us both some rather grim news. It took me a moment to realize he was clutching a letter of some kind in his left hand. I scratched my head in wonder as I was pretty sure I hadn't done anything at school to warrant a notice at home. I assumed it must have been a reminder for the upcoming school dance, which put my potential worries at ease for the moment.

"Hello boys, hope I'm not interrupting anything here. This letter just came in the mail. I believe you might want to take a look at this one Stewart."

I sighed in annoyance, I really wasn't in the mood for this kind of shit right now. I politely grabbed the letter from my father's grasp and gently thanked him for bringing this to my attention immediately. As soon as he left, I returned to my position on my bed. I had no idea what to expect given I knew this time for sure I wasn't in trouble, but I tried to convince myself whatever it was, it couldn't have been too serious. I decided to hold it off for tomorrow. I did still have a couple days until Halloween, and I was at least fairly certain the letter wasn't anything of dire importance. What was the harm in putting off reading it until at least tomorrow?

Predictably, Paul took immediate notice of the letter in my hand. He wanted to know exactly whom sent it, and for what purpose. I did my best to hold his obnoxious snooping at bay as he tried to force his way to the letter himself.

"Hey, who's that letter for? Why do you keep getting all the free junk around here?!? Lemme see dammit!"

I pushed him back with my right foot as he fell back to his bed abruptly. I didn't mean to shove him back so hard, but my mind is already stressed out enough as is. I've got the biggest Halloween of my young life in just 3 days. My friends still don't know Paul's coming with us yet. Then there was Paul himself whom never knew when enough was enough, and just when I thought I didn't have enough to contemplate, NOW I received yet another letter from parts unknown as of right now. Could I just have one moment's peace to myself? ONE?!?

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to shove you like that man. I've just got alot on my mind right now, and your inane crap isn't helping matters at all! I'm sure whatever this stupid letter has to tell me can wait until tomorrow. I don't know who it's from or from where it was sent, but what I DO know is we're not going to concern ourselves with it for the moment. We...by which I mean mostly myself, have enough to be concerned with already."

Paul looked back with a slight frown as he finally realised he went too far in pushing me. I couldn't see his eyes begin to tear or mist up though, allowing me to sigh with relief as I had zero patience for one of his crying episodes at the moment. I'm not a perfect sibling by any stretch of the imagination, but I tend not to go out of my way to drive my kid brother to tears either. Though he could be at worst an unbearably obnoxious, condescending, self centered brat of a sibling, he was still my little bro all the same, and I'd be lying if I said I could live with myself if something bad happened to him.

Paul finally pulled himself together as he sat up-right in the center of his bed. He quickly regained his usual confidence as he attempted to dismissively brush off what just happened.

"Yeeesh, touchy touchy! I know we've got Halloween to worry about and all, but is one stupid letter really that nerve wracking for you? Whatever it is, I'm sure it's nothing! Just chill for once in your life Stew, damn!"

I decided to drop the matter right there before it could escalate any further. As much as it made my skin crawl, I had to concede that Paul had a point here. I was betraying my own logic by allowing myself to panic over this letter. I shouldn't have anything to fear or worry about considering I'd been doing a fair job at school. I hadn't gotten into any trouble nor did I have to pay the nurse a visit since I fainted. My friends stopped teasing me over what happened with Wednesday, they were way too excited over our Halloween plans to care anymore. I also upheld my end of the bargain with the Addams Family. This was a time for fun and celebration! Why bother getting so worked up over nothing?

The rest of the day and night went by pretty meticulously. Me and Paul played a couple of games of Mario Kart 64 and Smash Bros. We both took games off each other respectively, and the last games for both titles ended in a draw. Paul liked to accuse me of cheating anytime I dare win the tiebreaker of our little competitions, but thankfully with a draw that was no longer a concern.

Eventually dinner rolled around, and the rents decided to spoil us with 2 pizzas featuring toppings of our choosing. I went pepperoni as per the norm whereas Paul picked mushrooms. He would have picked anchovies if given the chance, but they make him extremely thirsty afterward, and then he ends up hogging all the damned soda which effectively leaves me with none. As promised, I secretely gave him a good portion of my share of the special, Halloween-themed ice cream like we agreed upon, which he proceeded to spoon with the speed of a piranha horde. If ice cream could feel, I'd of said a prayer for it as Paul genuinely enjoyed playing with his food like a cat quartering a mouse. Trust me when I say...it's alot more disturbing than it has any right to be.

Finally, it was bed time. I was comfortably fitted in my PJs and ready to get a long, quiet, refreshing night's sleep. My body was snuggly covered by the 2 large blankets that cocooned me, dulling the nightly chill as the temperature outside dropped to the upper 30s. Unfortunately for me though, Paul had yet to work off the extra sugar he had built up from gorging on both of our shares of the ice-cream. This led to him furiously jumping up and down on his bed like a lunatic, and I wouldn't be surprised in the event he'd wet himself soon. I forced my eyes shut as I turned to my right in a desperate attempt to sleep, but the constant pounding and squeaking of the springs in Paul's mattress made this a meaningless effort. The only thing I could silently hope for is the inevitable taking effect...which is to _saaaay_.

"H-Hey...why does my crotch feel wet and warm at the same time?"

_Aaaaand_ there it was.

I could hear both my parents coming into check out the noise that had been echoing throughout the house. No doubt they probably expected a late night pillow fight before bed considering what we had for dessert, but luckily I was to my right trying with all my remaining energy to get some sleep. With Paul passing out after finally working out his energy (and emptying the contents of his bladder), they were about to no doubt scoop him up, clean him off, and put him in new PJs. This finally gave me the time I needed to peacefully doze off to dream-land, at long last.

Or...so I thought.

The next thing I knew, I was walking down an exceptionally dark street. I could briefly recognize it as belonging to my neighborhood, but the only light I had to navigate with were the street-lights. They seemed to oddly flicker on and off every few minutes or so, for what reason completely escaped me. I couldn't control my legs and feet either. It was like I was being piloted against my will, trudging along to God knows where with no say in the matter on my behalf.

I could do nothing but continue to walk up the street, passing by several houses I could all distinctly remember visiting once or twice on Halloween night. I began to break out in a damp and humid sweat, and the air around me felt like hardened cement. I could just barely breathe as each step I took felt like walking with a huge boulder or concrete slab tied to my back. What was this? Where was I even walking to, and why was it so muggy and humid outside? Fall was in full effect! It should be at least 37 degrees right now!

I started to panic, albeit wordlessly as when I opened my mouth to yelp, no sound could be heard. It was like I was imprisoned within my own body. From what I could gather given the situation...I had no use of my own body. The air I could just barely use to fill my lungs with was akin to being strangled in a sauna. The street I was walking on was practically pitch-black barring the street-lights, and even they only provided a hint of sight as they would turn off after every 5 minutes or so.

I had no way of logically assessing my situation. The only thing that I knew for sure...was that I wanted this to **end**! I frantically kicked and screamed with neither sound nor movement to be had or heard. A soundless, motionless, prisoner within my own flesh. My panic began to rise like the coming of a massive tidal wave as my focus shifted toward where I was even walking towards in the first place. I started to realize that the streets I was walking on were no longer familiar to me. I was in a completely different part of town, although the houses of these new, uncharted streets looked normal enough themselves.

After what genuinely felt like an eternity of mindless walking, I came across an old, decrepit, mansion of sorts. My legs stopped their agonizing travels as my head turned to face what looked to be the backyard of this mansion. From within my limited vision, I could make out the eerie glow of Jack'O Laturns placed neatly ontop the center of what seemed to be tombstones. Was I wrong? Was my location in fact an old cemetary? More importantly, just what was all this supposed to mean anyway?!?

As I took in the sight of the tombstones, another figure suddenly jumped into view all at once. Thanks to the illumination given off by the pumpkins, I could start to make out the figure admist the endless blanket of darkness as it danced among the tombstones and orange glow of Jack'O Laturns. It beared noticeably feminine traits such as a pale, slender figure. A long, flowing, black dress that traveled all the way down to it's ankles. It reminded me of a smaller version of the one Morticia wore. Beyond that, I could make out familiar dark hair and braids, and that she (or perhaps it) was barefoot. The mysterious, yet oddly familiar figure had what looked like bright red polish on it's toes with a clear shine to them, as if though they'd been manicured only just recently.

It was unquestionable by this point. This...person...whomever she was, was indeed female. However, that still didn't explain why I was made to walk here against my will. What was the point of all this?!? Where the hell even WAS I ?!?

As I became lost within my own confusion, the figure's dance looked as if though she was trying to summon something from beyond the grave. I had to admit, in spite of my ever present fear and anxiety, the dance she was performing was oddly..."bewitching" in a sense. That didn't automatically mean I was anymore comfortable than I was before however. The fact that I still had no control over my own body was a cause for great concern to me. Additionally, now there was someone in my line of view that could easily take advantage of the helpless state I was in. This was not a good position for me to be in whatsoever, and to cap it all off there wasn't a damn thing I could do about any of this. The simple truth was no matter what this person, animal, monster, entity, being, or otherwise was, I was completely and utterly at her mercy...assuming she even had any to spare, of course.

I wasn't sure if she could even notice I was watching her or not, but just as soon as she appeared, she quickly vanished beyond the tombstones. My mind had maybe a second to contemplate that she had disappeared from my field of vision. A few minutes went by before I could feel my legs begin to move again. This time however, instead of moving along the streets, I began to move toward the direction of the graveyard itself. As before, I was completely powerless to stop my advance as my feet progressed through the black, rusted gate of the mansion. I was walking toward the spot where the figure was, each step forcing me to re-visit the pain and discomfort of the walk I took to get to this place.

I soon reached the tombstones with the Jack'O Laturns neatly placed at the center of them. This area was completely dark aside from the glow given off from them. The heat...the arid humidity and dampness from before. I could feel it begin to return more fiercely as I walked step by step to what I presumed to be the back of the house. Was there a fire nearby? I genuinely felt as though I was being led straight into an oven, just what was this place?!?

Eventually, I reached the back of the house. There was a small brick wall leading to what looked like a forest beyond it, aside from that there was nothing especially eye-grabbing here, although the moon-light provided a nice luminscent glow. I could faintly start to make out the sounds of whimpering, causing my anxiety to return back all in one setting. I frantically moved my head in every direction it was capable of moving to discern the source of the whimpers. I turned my head around to see someone tied to a stake, their arms and legs tied around it to prevent any sort of struggle to break free. In spite of the darkness having enveloped my senses, it took me less than a minute to realize whom it was.

_Paul_...

In that instant, the feeling in my body was restored completely. I bolted toward the stake in order to un-tie my little brother from this disturbing position. My shoes damn near left flames on the ground with the speed I charged at Paul with. Like I told you before, he may be a pain, he may make me miserable whether knowingly or not, and at times I do question what it'd be like if I were an only child, but he's still my kid brother. So help me GOD, if anyone even thought of laying a finger on his head, I'd personally tear them apart with my own two hands!

I was far past caring about whatever the hell happened to me. All I could think about was getting Paul off that stake, and to somewhere safe no matter what it took. I ripped and teared at the ropes holding him to the stake with an almost animalistic fury. I managed to pry him loose in a matter of minutes, completely surprised by my own strength as I wasn't exactly what one would call a gym rat. I immediately embraced Paul as I wanted to know why he was here, and whomever it was that did this to him. I tried with all my might, but still I couldn't speak no matter what. Paul had clearly been crying as tear stains were noticeable amongst his cheeks. It broke my heart to see him like this, knowing that some sick creep could do this to an innocent child. Paul began to speak up as his voice was choked and garbled up by his emotions, and his lingering fear at the location we were still at.

"I...I don't know how I got here. I just opened my eyes, and I realized I was tied to this stake. I've been stuck here for about an hour now. I thought someone would never find me. Thanks Stewart!"

My emotions overwhelmed me as tears began to flow through my eyes like a faucet. I tearfully embraced my little brother once again. I was just so glad to know he was unharmed, but I knew so long as we stayed here, we weren't truly safe at all. I lifted Paul off the ground and placed him on my back, and then began to run with all the speed invested in me. Carrying him on my back and running at the same time proved to be a fair challenge, but I had no time to consider that given Paul's safety was my top priority. I made it past the tombstones and managed to reach the gate, before tripping and landing harshly on my left knee. I knew without a shadow of a doubt I wouldn't be able to run and carry Paul on one bad leg, so when he took a look at it to investigate, I gently pushed him away as I gave him one last piece of brotherly advice, having finally gotten my voice back seemingly in the nick of time.

"Look Paul...I can't get up right now. I think I blew out my left knee cap with that fall. You've gotta get as far away from here as you're able to. I saw someone around here earlier, and who knows if there's more. Just run as fast as you can, and whatever you do..._don't _look back."

Paul started to tear up once again as he tried in vain to lift me off the ground. My left knee was in so much pain I could feel it vibrating throughout the rest of my body. It was a generous effort on his part, but there was no way in HELL he could have forced me off the ground if I couldn't even. Suddenly, Paul's expression changed to one of complete fear. His eyes grew as wide as saucers at whatever it was he was looking at. I begged him with all the strength I had left in me to run, which after some more sobbing he finally did so. I was glad that at least he would be getting out of this alive, but sadly for me...it didn't look as though my luck would be as kind. I could only pray that whatever it was that scared Paul off would be merciful enough to give me a quick death.

I turned my head around to face this new danger. It was the figure I'd seen dancing among the tombstones! Even more frightening however, was the fact that NOW I could clearly make out whom she was...

"_W-_..._W_-Wednesday?"

My fear returned a thousand fold as I crawled on the ground with all my might, trying to distance myself from her as much as possible. Her expression was what I was accustomed to by this point. That intense, cold, unfeeling gaze was directly upon me, causing me to scatter on the ground like a cock-roach. I knew there was nothing I could do by this point. I had just lost the use of one of my legs, and I wouldn't dare dream of fighting a girl anyway, even if it cost me my life in the process. I just stopped struggling after a while and closed my eyes, silently praying she would just finish me off and be done with it. My head had it's back turned as I could hear her foot-steps approaching ever closer. With no other options left remaining, I quietly said my final good-byes to my friends and family. Maybe one day I'd see them again...or maybe not. Who was to know?

I could feel my right ankle being gripped as my body dragged along the cold, hard ground. The pain in my left knee resurfaced as it bumped against various objects scattered across the ground I was dragged along. I let out yelps of pain and displeasure as I was being rag-dolled to wherever Wednesday saw fit. I started to cry once more as the pain in my left knee wouldn't stop throbbing, and I began to wonder if I'd ever see the end of this torment anytime soon.

Eventually, the pulling stopped as I could recognize the brick wall I was placed in front of. It was the same one I saw when I reached the backyard of the mansion. Wednesday or whomever stopped dragging me in order to retreive something from God knows where. My senses were blurring as the pain in my left knee was beginning to make me feel woozy. I could still faintly hear something large and heavy being pulled as it's size caused a screeching noise upon the ground it was moved upon.

Once it stopped, I could hear the person dragging it walking their way over to my position. Terrified, dirty, and in great suffering due to my knee, I whimpered pathetically as I felt my body being hoisted off the ground, and placed on what felt like a large, wooden board of sorts. My limbs were being strapped in place in a manner that reminded me of a torture rack. My heart nearly stopped beating as the realization of what I was strapped to had started to sink in. This _was _a torture rack! But...why? What the hell have I done to these people to deserve this kind of treatment?!? Was this Wednesday's way of telling me my story wasn't scary enough? Did she simply get off on the suffering of others? An endless surge of questions flowed through my brain all at once, but not a single one would be answered at the rate things were going.

My tormenter looked me dead straight in the eyes as her expression remained the same. I just laid there on my back completely helpless to her whims. Her terrifying gaze showed no emotion, making what she was feeling totally unreadable. She didn't seem to hold compassion for my predicament, nor was it clear she was delighting in the suffering she caused me. I began to bawl and frantically shake my head back and forth in a last ditch effort to win some mercy from her. She said nothing as per usual, but she slowly made her way over to my right ear. I closed my eyes as I reasoned not seeing what she planned on doing next might ease the pain at least mildly.

Then...for the first time since I've known her, she spoke into my right ear. Her voice was just slightly above a whisper, and it's tone was dull and lifeless, as if though all the emotion in the world had up and vanished from existence.

"...**_Are you scared_**?"

The last thing I remember hearing was a crane of some kind being turned, before an ungodly pain traveled through my body in a matter of seconds, finally causing me to fade into unconscious-ness as the world around me simply ceased to be.


	2. Tensions Enmasse

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing pertaining to the Addams Family, beyond this personalized work of fiction. Thank you. :)**

Had I any say in the matter, this awakening would have been a touch more..."dignified".

**_"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!_**"

I let out a scream more powerful than I thought I was capable of doing. My frenzied cries were so shrill, so piercing, my poor throat felt like it was on fire when I had finally finished. After a few minutes to realize I was no longer on the verge of being tortured, I immediately noticed my left knee was no longer in excruiating pain. A massive surge of relief flooded my senses all at once as I was glad to be delivered from that hellish nightmare. The scariest thing about all this was just how real the whole thing felt. Did I just experience a vision of hell?!

It took my parents about 5 minutes to barge in through the door to my bedroom. When they saw me and Paul, the latter of whom was somehow still asleep despite me rocking the house to it's core with my own voice, they seemed more annoyed than relieved to find me unharmed. I tried my best to explain what happened without waking Paul up in the process.

"Uhh, sorry! I just had a little nightmare. I've gotta hold back on the late night pizza before bed."

They both seemed to accept that excuse, and gently closed the door as they went down-stairs to get their days started. I undid my covers and stood up, briefly checking my PJs for any wet stains (thankfully finding none in the process). I made sure to check the alarm clock to the center of the desk. It read 7:25 AM, only 5 minutes removed from when it would normally go off. That suited me just fine, I was in no rush whatsoever to go back to sleep considering what I'd just been through. I decided to get an early start to my day and headed off to the bathroom.

I got out of the shower after about 10 minutes or so. There wasn't as much hot water as I'd of liked (Thank you Paul), but I made do with what there was to spare. Afterwards, I headed back to my bedroom to retreive the letter. I decided to read it after school, mostly because I desperately needed a diversion from what I suffered through the whole night. Jesus, and I thought Paul's jumping on the bed was torturous!

After breakfast, I raced toward school on my board for yet another monotonous, yet hopefully peaceful day. I couldn't deal with Paul at all considering how much the dream itself involved him, not to mention just how stressed out I was by it in general. As much as my left knee felt like someone had bashed a tire iron against it repeatedly. As much as I was traumatized by the sight of Wednesday stalking me while I was left defenseless on the ground. _Nothing__..._I repeat, nothing could have compared to the blood curdling horror of seeing my only sibling strung on a wooden plank like he was some kind of scare-crow. I didn't know which I hated more. The thought of what might have happened had I not gotten there in time to save him, or just whomever it was that trapped him there in the first place.

I've had nightmares before, sure! What kid on this planet hasn't experienced at least one, right? Thing is, none of the bad dreams or night terrors I've had ever felt _that_ real before. How could I feel actual physical pain when dreams themselves were essentially projections of our own imaginations? More to the point, Wednesday herself had never been quite as terrifying than she was in that dream. It's like she was a sadistic and cunning predator, stalking it's helpless prey while waiting for the right moment to strike. I just couldn't understand why this was happening to me, and why NOW of all damned times! What did these people want from me?! I'd like to think I'm not the worst kid in the world, at least not so rotten as to deserve being haunted in my sleep!

I got through the rest of the day without any problems to speak of miraculously. My friends joined me on the way home from school, picking up on my frustrations despite my best efforts to keep focused on my day. They were nice enough to make sure I got back home safely, which considering my paranoia was immensely comforting. I debated whether or not it was a good idea to inform them of the contents regarding my dream, but I figured asking a couple of basic questions couldn't hurt. I just had to make sure I kept the details on the dream short.

"Hey guys? I uhhh...I was kinda curious. Have you ever had a dream where you can..._like_, feel things you would if you were awake?"

My 4 friends looked at each other like I'd just asked them theory regarding quantum physics. In fairness, the question I was asking did defy logic, and truth be told I wouldn't know what to say if I were asked the same thing. All the same, I needed answers as I didn't know how else to explain it. Jason spoke up after a few minutes of sharing awkward stares with my other friends.

"Umm, you wanna repeat that one more time Stew? I'm not sure if I heard that right. Why do you ask anyway?"

Well, here it goes nothing. I just gotta keep it short and sweet, and maybe they won't badger me for more afterwards.

"I had a dream last night where I was running down a dark path. I just kept running and running, presumably away from someone or something chasing me. Before I could get to safety, I tripped and landed hard on my left knee. It felt like my knee cap had literally exploded, and it hurt so much it was like I'd injured it for real! Can that actually happen in dreams? Is it possible to feel pain?"

The boys looked to be mulling over what I'd told them, trying to dig up the best answer they could offer on such short notice. They all shook their heads in unison after a minute or 2, leaving me no better off than when I first started. Bobby soon snickered as he made it clear he wasn't taking me seriously at all. He giggles for a bit before making a snide remark at my expense of course.

"Heh, "pain" huh Stewart? For a second there, I thought for sure you just woke up with a stiffy."

The rest of my friends all joined him in mocking laughter, well at least Jason and Tommy tried to hold theirs back. Marcus was chuckling so hard he had to balance himself on Bobby's left shoulder. It was at this point I was truly beginning to question the validity of my friendship with Bobby. He seemed to have lost most of the respect he had for me following my troubles with the Addams Family, and he clearly doubted my sincerity as he still believed I was going to hog most of the spoils for myself. I couldn't just cut him loose though, it would potentially shatter the trust my other friends had in me, which I could not afford to have happen. All I had to do was hold out until after Halloween was over, and then I could let the fat pig fry.

"Alright guys I appreciate the gesture, but I think I should ride the rest of the way alone. I'll talk to you later, let me know what costumes you've picked out!"

Though disappointed, they said nothing as they waved me good bye before racing off on their boards. Well, at least now I had some peace of mind before the next inevitable pain in the ass surfaced. If things continued this way for much longer, I'd hate to see how they'd react to learning that Paul would be joining us. Speaking of which, I hadn't spoken to Paul all day. I had no intention of telling him about the dream, but I could use a little emotional support as I read the letter.

I made it back home in about 10 minutes after me and my pals went our separate ways. Mom and Dad were once again on the sofa catching a show. That was fine with me, I had a letter that needed reading anyhow. I raced up the stair-case as quickly as my legs would carry me in an effort to reach the private sanctity that was my bedroom. I couldn't believe I was even thinking something like this, but I was actually glad to see Paul for a change.

When I entered my bedroom, I immediately noticed Paul laying on his bed flat on his stomach. His legs were elevated as he played on his Game Boy Color. He turned his head to look in my direction as he played whatever game he was currently working on, offering me more or less a "neutral" expression as he did so. It was so nice to know my presence was probably the very least of things that mattered to him. All the same, I did what I believe any half decent person would do, and tried to strike up a little small talk before I got to reading the letter.

"Hey...so how was your day?"

He didn't even bother to look in my direction before giving an honest, but fairly monotone response.

"Fine...I guess. Boring as hell though, but I'd assume your day wasn't much different."

I couldn't say he was wrong there in all honesty. Nonetheless, I decided to skip the side crap and ask him for his undivided attention for the moment.

"Look Paul. If you could quit playing that for just a couple minutes, I was going to read that letter out loud."

Paul stopped playing his Game Boy for a moment as he looked my way with a confused expression. His left eye-brow was turned up and he genuinely looked puzzled at my request. Was it really asking so much of him to listen for just a few minutes of his time?

"...And you need my undivided attention to read a letter out loud because _why_? You need a reading aid or something?"

I put my right hand to my face without slapping it there as I let out an angry grumble. I was probably the stupidest person I knew for thinking Paul could be trusted for anything. That said, Paul was the closest person I knew that wouldn't squeal to mom and dad about the contents of the letter (provided I met his price of course).

"_Because_ Paul, I don't know what it's about or who it's from. It shouldn't be too serious, but I'd just like a little moral support as I read it. Is that really asking so much of you?"

Paul let out an annoyed sigh, but made no further complaints as he turned his handheld console off, slipped it into the middle desk-drawer that lie in between both of our beds, and sat back on his bed with his legs crossed. He bore a serious look on his face as it was clear he wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

"Make it quick."

That was all I needed to hear. I walked over to my desk-drawer and pulled out the envelope from the top one. I re-positioned myself toward the mirror of our dresser which was to the right of our room. As I began to open the letter, I took a peek at the address from the top-left corner. The address read "666 Vile-Grove", one that I was at least fairly sure didn't exist in the world as it wasn't anything I could remember hearing about. Finally, I got around to reading it's contents...which by the time I was finished, nearly shattered my sanity into a million shards of glass.

"Dear Stewart Malcolm, you have been cordially invited to partake in an old family tradition. On Halloween night, you and 30 other children from the neighborhood will participate in a Halloween spectacle we Addams like to call...The Mansion Of Survival!

This game has been a family classic since the very first Addams walked this earth. The objective of the game is just as it sounds, you must survive the many trials and dangers that await you within the many halls and floors of the mansion itself. If you can do so, you and a friend or family member of your choosing will be rewarded handsomely for your efforts. Never mind your silly, trick-or-treat, frollicking come this Friday. The candy we offer you cannot be found on any other place on this planet. Not only that, but the grand prize to the winner or winners will ensure that they'll be set not just for the rest of their lives, but for that of their children's as well.

If you decide to accept this invitation, you may enter with a family member or friend. Entering with friends grants you group privileges, and by doing so you may also enter with said family member as well. The max number of friends allowed for each group is 5, but this limit is overlooked if one amongst you has a family member accompanying you.

The instructions to our mansion have been left on the bottom of this letter. The event itself shall be held at exactly 9:00 PM sharp, not a minute later I'm afraid. We look forward to as many participants as possible as we share in our family's most sacred and precious traditions with that of our neighbors!

Hoping you are well...and frightened! :) Gomez Addams of the Addams Family!"

My breath felt trapped in my chest. I felt like I couldn't breathe at all, like the air itself was completely cut off from the room. I had to slap my face to make sure I hadn't just imagined reading what I thought was an invitation from the Addams Family. I looked at Paul who's eyes rivaled his petrified, glazed over, stare from the dream I had last night. He looked perhaps even more surprised (and afraid) than I was. I placed the letter down on the top of the desk-drawer before gently sitting back down on my bed. A sullen, hopeless expression on my face as I did so.

With the new info I was given to contemplate, the truth was there was only one thing I could think of to say...and that was.

"...You can't be fuckin' serious."

Paul looked shocked as I dropped an F bomb in front of him. We had a tendency to curse more so than kids our age were meant to, but even I tried to refrain from using the F word if I could help it. He soon stood up as he genuinely shared in my own shock and considerable fear of what this invitation implied.

"_Those _freaks again?! **NOW **what the hell did you do?!"

My rising fear and panic began to morph into defensive anger. I was getting more than a little tired of being blamed for whenever something weird would go down. The only "crime" I could be accused of was going about my business and living my life in relative peace apparently. Furiously, I stood up once again as I threw the letter onto my bed roughly. I then began to address Paul's accusations with about as much tact and grace an older, nervous, extremely miffed pre-teen such as myself was liable to.

"What did I do?! Why, what an interesting **GODDAMN CHOICE OF WORDS! **Just how the hell am I supposed to know what I did?! Wednesday hasn't even been in class for at least a week now! Jesus Christ...this has to be a nightmare. **WHY**...**WHY** does this have to happen now?! Halloween is just 2 days away, my friends still don't know **_you're _**tagging along, and ontop of all that, NOW these people have decided to harass us again!"

I panted relentlessly as my emotions finally combusted after having brewn within me for so long. My whole body felt like it was shaking and convulsing as the palms of my hands began to sting with how tightly I'd clenched them. I briefly wondered if I'd drawn blood with how my nails had forcefully burrowed into them. My steaming tantrum brought my parents attention as they both charged up the steps and up to our door to see what was wrong. To my greatest of shocks, Paul surprisingly took it upon himself to fib on my behalf.

"Oh-hey mom! Hey dad! Stewart was just showing me his latest improv skills from acting class. Sorry if we disturbed you!"

They both looked at each other with confused, slightly skeptical looks on their faces, but quickly looked rather proud as they seemed impressed by what they heard. As long as they were off my trail, I couldn't complain with the methods much at all. They soon shut the door, leaving me and Paul back to where we started. While I was certainly grateful for his timely, resourceful save, I couldn't quite escape the idea he did this for a grander purpose in mind. He wasn't incapable of doing nice things out of the goodness of his heart, but with Halloween so close by, he'd be nuts not to exploit every opening he could find. He obviously wanted something, and my stomach tore itself apart at the thought of what it was.

Paul soon put his hands on his hips as I laid back down on my bed. I needed a few minutes to catch my breath before I could think of anything else. I swear to God, if I don't develop blood pressure issues by the time this is all over, I might as well have the strongest arteries on the planet.

"Alright look. I know it's weird they've given us another letter right out of nowhere like this, but we've got to think about the possibilities here! They're offering us candy that we can't get anywhere else in the world, and if they live in a mansion, then they must be friggin' loaded! The stakes sound pretty brutal not gonna lie, but it's not like we aren't gonna have some help here. If we all just work together, I'm sure we can win whatever crazy game they have in store for us! Then, we won't even need to trick-or-treat again! We could spend every Halloween from this point onward doing cooler, more grown-up things that the big kids get to do!"

If I hadn't just screamed my brains out at him, I would have blatantly laughed in his face. How cute was he? NOW suddenly he believed in "working together"! Where he learned how to be such a conniving, manipulative, little bastard deserved to be taught in self-help books across the country! I closed my eyes as all I wanted was to find my happy place at the moment. I just wanted to vanish and put all of this behind me, never having to think about anything ever again...let alone worry. Sadly though, I knew that simply wouldn't be possible for me. I sat up after I finally replenished my abilities to think and breathe at the same time. I made it a point to inform Paul just exactly what I thought of his little suggestions.

"I don't tell you this enough I know, but you are truly the worst sibling I could have ever been graced with."

He didn't even flinch at the nastiest remark I could throw his way without resorting to more "vulgar" volcabulary. Instead, he flashed me a cocky, half smirk while crossing his arms together, as if though I just paid him the most flattering of compliments.

"Would the worst sibling ever have just bailed your ass out from getting busted?"

"If there was something in it for them? Sure, it's not implausible. I knew you'd find a way to twist this in your favor, just like you do with everything else."

Paul was beginning to grow impatient as he realized I wouldn't be so easily swayed by his usual, smooth talk BS. That saccharine crap might work with people who were suckers for a cute face, but I'd been used by Paul far too many times to be suckered in. Dauntered, but not defeated, he tried once more to manipulat-I mean reason his way into making me see things from his perspective.

"So you're telling me the idea of getting to try candy we couldn't find anywhere else in the world doesn't interest you at all?"

We both knew that wasn't what I was getting at. It's not that the idea of getting candy I'd never tried before wasn't cool. It was the fact that Paul actually thought I'd be stupid enough to put him, my friends, and myself all in danger just to indulge his insatiable sweet-tooth.

"_Nooooo..._it's just the little fact that you'd think I'd mindlessly throw my own life away, so you could engorge yourself on God knows how many cubic pounds of sugar! With the plan, we'll be taking home more candy than either of us could count as is! Where's the sense in any of us being put in harm's way just for the sake of CANDY?!"

Now it was Paul who face-palmed himself as I made it clear I wasn't backing down from his demands this time. He let out a low grumble, and I could swear I heard a curse somewhere underneath his breath. He shook his head in annoyance as he began to snarl at me in a manner similar to a 5 year old being told to sit in the corner. After some more underwhelming attempts to look imposing on his part, he then begins to unleash a calculated, verbal assault on me.

"Would you STOP being such a pussy for once Stewart?! This is why you never get anywhere in life, and more importantly why _no one_, not even your own FRIENDS respect you! You always want to take the easy way out when you're faced with a problem rather than shutting up, nutting up, and working through it before it gets out of hand! I'm 2 years younger, and even I can understand life is going to be dangerous at times, but where's the fun in life if you can't push the odds every now and again? We're on the cusp of the most exciting Halloween of our young lives, and all YOU can do is mope, bitch, and whine when things get a bit crazy?!

Paul's little speeches I could normally brush off, but for some reason this one **_really _**set me off! Wanting to make sure those I cared about didn't needlessly put themselves in danger made me a pussy?! My hands clenched themselves with even more force than previous, causing them to shake from the intensity of the anger that began to invade every corner of my being. With agility I never knew I possessed, I jumped off my bed as my feet made a loud thump upon landing on the floor. I then turned to my right in order to face my younger sibling, growling and nearly spitting as I could feel my own saliva turn into foam with the rage that had consumed me.

"A **_pussy_**...am I...Paul?!? For wanting to protect you from people we don't know, keep my friends safe, and oh I don't know...NOT die at the age of 12 over candy?!? I mean really, you said it best yourself! We know practically nothing about these people besides what they look like, and their weird Halloween obsessions! How do we know this whole thing isn't just some elaborate trap to get a bunch of kids in one area, and then kill them off gruesomely?!?"

Paul's expression drastically lost it's arrogance as a look of worry started to take root. For once, he was putting aside his own selfishness and considering the risks of this competition. That said, as much as I despised admitting it, he wasn't completely wrong regarding what he said about me. It's true, I do have a habit of running away from trouble or danger at the first sight of it. That's the whole reason why the Addams even visited me in the first place. However, that's only because I go out of my way to avoid it in the first place. I'm not looking to fight with anyone, nor do I want to be a rebel. I just want to live my life in peace, enjoy quality time with the people I care about, and make each day count as I can. If we all have one thing in common, it's that we all get one life, and only one childhood for that matter. If wanting to make it through each day with my head above ground makes me a coward, then so be it! That said, don't expect me to apologize for it either.

Paul let out a deep sigh as he seemed to finally give up on arguing this matter further. He abruptly plopped down on his bed as he made one final effort to at least make me consider the offer's potential rewards.

"Would you just consider it at least? I'd appreciate that if nothing else, otherwise we'll have to continue this another time. The rents'll be taking us to the costume shop in about 30 minutes, so you might want save big decision time for after we've picked out our gear for Halloween night."

I took a deep breath in relief, finally I'd have some time to myself to think things through. Naturally, I was still heavily against the idea as the rewards didn't quite justify the risks. However, I wondered what my friends would have to say regarding this competition. Would they be interested in going? I'm not ashamed to admit the lot of them were braver than me, and while I'm not so arrogant as to call myself the "brains" of the team, I tended to be the more cautious one as I consider the risks of an activity or game we've decided on doing for the moment. If they wanted to go, I knew I wouldn't be able to stop them, but even so I couldn't just let them get hurt if there was something I could do to help them.

Either way, all of this would have to wait for later on tonight. I had to concentrate on choosing the best costume I could find to make this a Halloween that no one would ever forget. It needed to be something that was completely unlike me in every way, something daring and bold. Something I'd never have the guts to be in reality. My excitement began to gradually build as I became lost in deep wonder over what would fit my asthetic of choice the best.

Suddenly...my eyes began to grow heavy as my vision blurred in and out. I must have used up more energy than I realized when I blew up at Paul. Regardless, I silently told Paul to wake me up when it was time to go to the costume store as my head lightly landed on my right pillow. From there, my world view slowly faded to black as my weariness consumed me completely.


	3. A Night On The Town

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing pertaining to the Addams Family, beyond this personalized work of fiction. Thank you. :)**

"**_Are you scared? Are you scared? Are you scared? Are you scared? Are you scared? Are you scared? Are you scared? Are you scared?_**"

My body uncomfortably twitched left and right as my hands firmly gripped the sheets of my bed. Warm beads of sweat started to pour down my forehead as I could feel my body start to burn up. The words Wednesday spoke from that dream continued to dance around in my sub-conscious like the mocking laughter of grade-school children. Why was this happening to me? Why was I picked out of all the other kids in my neighborhood to participate in this competition? Not to mention the most important detail of all...how could I get these awful nightmares **TO STOP?!?**

Paul began to shake me somewhat violently as he could tell I wasn't having the most pleasant of dreams at the moment.

"Dude, get up! It's time for us to go pick up our duds at the costume shop! Jesus...why are you so _warm?!?"_

I woke up with a jump as my vision was still mildly blurred from having yet another unsightly abomination of a night terror. Paul's disgusted exasperation was all the reminder I needed to tell me my shirt was soaked to the bone with my own sweat.

"**_Ewwwwww!! _**Why the hell is your shirt drenched in sweat?!! There better be some disinfectant left in the bathroom!"

I groaned in pure frustration as the shirt I had on was my own personal favorite. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, just a navy-blue jersey with 2 zeroes on the front-center. It does have some considerable sentimental value to it though as my grandmother gave it to me for my B-day 3 years ago. She passed away peacefully in our home just last year, so suffice it to say the pain of loss still held true even now. Besides looking damn good on me (at least I'd like to think so), it served as a reminder of the dear family member we lost due to old age and sickness.

Wherever she is...I just hope she's found peace.

As I took my precious time regaining consciousness, I realized this was now officially the 2nd time I had a nightmare like this. It came to me in pieces as I re-visited all the most terrifying moments from that horrible dream. Paul being tied to that stake, me crashing hard to the ground on my left knee, my limp body being dragged off to the back-yard of that creepy mansion, and finally my body being thrown on a torture rack with Wednesday glaring me to death the whole time.

I never felt more pain than I did when my knee made solid contact with the ground beneath me, and what's worse is that I wasn't even awake when it happened. It was literally all a dream! I couldn't find a way to justify any of it, not to mention why I'd even have such a dream out of nowhere like that. I did at least consider it could have been a message of some kind, but right now I needed to concentrate on what was in front of me. I'd have plenty of time to "psycho-analyze" myself afterward.

Slowly, I lifted myself off my bed and began to adjust my clothes. I shivered in disgust as it turned out Paul wasn't joking when he said my shirt was drenched. I wiped off some of the slight residue from my right hand on his bed-sheets as I waited for him to "disinfect" himself. The little prick had some nerve complaining about my shirt when he used to pee in my bed before mom and dad got him his own. It wasn't anything I hadn't expected from him, but all the same his audacity was truly the stuff of legend at times.

I let about 10 minutes go by as I could still hear the water running loudly from the bathroom. I decided to use the time I spent waiting to fetch myself some fresh clothes while my usual gear dried itself out. I dug through our closet toward the upper-left corner of the room and pulled out a gray sweater along with some brown winter pants. It was supposed to be a bit colder outside than normal, and with how much I'd sweated while dreaming, I couldn't take a chance with getting sick.

After putting my moist clothes in the laundry basket, I waited once more for Paul to finish up. I just wanted to splash some water on my face to hopefully put my mind at some ease before I went out to the family van parked outside the garage. Paul finally exited after about 5 minutes with an expression on his face that suggested he was still partially grossed out having touched my sweat covered jersey. I would have felt some minor sympathy for him had we not argued an hour or 2 ago. All the same, he greeted me with his usual smug charm and arrogance that I'd come to expect having lived with him since birth.

"Just what kind of dreams have you been having lately? I'm no expert here, but I'm pretty sure a temperature like that is NOT normal, even if you are having nightmares!"

I figured I must have been burning up for a while, but I had no way of discerning _why._ I was or at least felt completely healthy for the past couple of months or so. I hadn't any allergy attacks to speak of, and my throat and sinuses hadn't bothered me at all. Could it just be all the stress and fear I've harbored since collecting that letter? Were these peculiar "hot flashes" related to the strange visions I'd been having lately? I could ask all the questions I wanted naturally, but none of it meant anything without answers to speak of.

In truth, I had no idea what to say. All I could do was blame my condition, or whatever it was on all the stress and anxiety I'd been feeling lately.

"I'm honestly not sure. It's probably just all this stress between Halloween and now this new "challenge" thing. My answer on that's still undecided by the way."

Paul nodded his head as he casually strolled out of the bathroom, making way for myself to enter, but not before delivering one of his trademark snappy quips at my expense.

"You should know me by now...normally I couldn't care less what happens to you, but when touching you feels like I just grabbed a storm-cloud,_ then _it becomes my business!"

I shot him a dead-pan glare as I stepped through the door-way, and then abruptly closed the door behind me. Credit to my brother, he was nothing if not consistent, which in fairness is the nicest thing I could think to say about him. I wasted no time as I hurried over to the sink. I quickly turned the water back on, but not before taking a look at myself in the mirror on the wall above it. I noticed my short, blonde, hair was disheveled and matty, damp with sweat and somewhat sticky. My eyes were beginning to show tinges of red as a result of the rather poor sleep I'd been having lately.

It only now began to sink in just how much everything was affecting me. I was going to drive myself into an early grave if things kept up the way they were. This was no longer a matter of choice or opinion, I **_needed _**to find a way to calm myself down before I got any worse. After all, it's not like they were forcing me to accept the invitation, but then again...we all know what happened the last time I tried to duck out on them.

Regardless, I needed to concentrate on finding a suitable costume to make this Halloween every bit as memorable as it deserved to be. After freshening up a bit, I quickly made my way down to the living room where Paul stood by the front door, impatiently tapping his left foot on the floor as he waited for me. He wore a light-brown jacket and small black cap. He had even less tolerance for the cold than I did (I've caught dozens of his colds to prove it), so like me he wisely wasn't taking any chances with the elements either. I snatched my bright red hoodie off the coat hanger and we both finally made our way out toward the black family van, where our parents were waiting for us the whole time.

I entered through the rear door to the left as Paul entered through the right, just like we'd always done so when going for a drive. His presence was considerably more tolerable as having mom and dad so close by forced him to filter out what he could normally say. This gave him far less opportunities to annoy me as he generally did, although he did manage the odd snappy retort here and there.

I closed my eyes and attempted to center myself as I silently wished the drive and crisp, night air would help take my mind off things. My parents kept quiet as they no doubt had more pressing matters on their mind than the adolescent hijinks of 2 pre-teen kids. It should go without saying, but my mom and dad would never approve of me going to a stranger's house, even if I was invited. If I was to accept this challenge, there was no way I could let either of them know about it. I hated that option though as I'd never lied to either of them before, ever! I didn't like the choices this scenario was forcing me to make, but if it meant getting these people to _finally_ leave me alone, I had no time to be picky about my options.

When I opened my eyes, I took a look out my window, forcing myself to stare out into the bleak darkness of the early evening so that I didn't have to look at Paul. His usual antics had really been tiring me out lately. Of course looking at it objectively, it was a culmination of everything that had been happening lately. The strange visions, the God awful night terrors, the stress of the year long Halloween plans my friends and I made, _and _the fact that I'd have to be baby-sitting Paul the whole night through. Was I simply destined to have every good thing in life go bad?

I couldn't answer that question even if I wanted to know the answer. The only thing I knew for sure was that I couldn't let the people important to me down no matter what. I wasn't going to let some weird, gothic side-show ruin the plans that me and my friends spent a whole **year **putting together. I was going to see this Halloween through to the end even if it KILLED me damn it!

We past through our neighborhood streets which were illuminated by the street-lights. This gave me a decent view of each house I'd be visiting before my friends and I met up at the rendevouz point, where we'd raid every house we could reach before we had to head home. I stared out blankly at every house we drove by, briefly wondering to myself what sorts of candy they'd have for this year.

_Suddenly_...I caught from the corner of my eye an odd, shadowy figure of sorts. It was just barely made visible from the various street-lights and the illumination of the various houses we past by. It's eyes showed a bleak, empty stare that felt all too dreadfully familiar to me. They possessed an ominous gleam which caused them to shine menacingly at me from a distance. I figured I had to be imagining it. It was just something my paranoia wracked mind cooked up while I was lost in my thoughts. As much as I wanted that to be the case, I would have known if I'd dozed off or not, so it couldn't have just been a dream or hallucination. I had no idea just whom those creepy eyes could have belonged to, but I had a feeling it wouldn't be the last I'd see of them...much to my chagrin, of course.

For the first time since we'd begun the drive, Paul turned his head toward my way to look at me. We hadn't spoke a word to each other since our exchange at the bathroom, which was by far the most pleasant experience I enjoyed thusly. All the same, I could feel him begin to tug on my right shoulder. Lord knows _why_ he wanted my attention at the moment, but I quietly sighed and turned my head to face him directly.

"_Psssst! _What were you looking at just now?"

He asked this in a hush tone to not draw the attention of mom and dad. My eyes widened a little at his question. How did he know I was looking at anything in particular? Was he watching me the whole time? I tried to play dumb so I wouldn't have to go into detail about the sinister pair of gleaming eyes we just drove by.

"Uhh nothing special...just the window Paul."

I pointed at my window with my right thumb to deflect interest from what I'd saw in the dark. Thankfully, Paul didn't seem to catch on to what I was doing. That meant he hadn't seen what I saw, which also meant I didn't need to go into detail about things further. His expression went from genuine curiosity, to pure boredom as he responded indifferently to my casual answer.

"Whatever, didn't mean to bother you."

He then turned his head to look at his own window as he left me to myself once more. I sighed under my breath in relief for what felt like the billionth time in weeks. I don't especially enjoy lying to people mind you, let alone my own family, but Paul either didn't know or simply didn't care when enough was enough, and I'd already exhausted what little energy I had worrying about this new "challenge" thing I'd have to confront on the horizon.

Nonetheless, I was just happy to have a few precious moments of him not constantly buzzing around my own business like flies circling a garbage can. Quite honestly, it amazed me how suffocating a sibling could be. I only had one, and it felt like I was "blessed" with 7 or 8. It would be a disservice, if not an outright insult to refer to Paul as a handful. He was like a one-kid shmorgasboard of annoyance and grief. Not only was he dry witted, calculating, and sharp tounged as someone far above him in years and experience, he still had the rambunctious energy of a child at least half his age!

At least now I had some peace of mind. I could take my focus off what I saw and aim it at where it should be: the costume shop! I took notice of the street we were on, and I realized we were about to exit our own neighborhood and enter the city. We live in a small quiet town just outside the city of Chicago. The rents only take us outside our town's borders when we need something we can't get at any of the shops here. Don't get me wrong, I love my little town and all it's familiar skate parks, shops, eateries, movie theaters and so on, but it'd be nice to see the hustle and bustle of the big city a little more often. Even I need a change of scenery here and there, haha!

Anyhow, at this rate it would take us only about 20 minutes to reach the costume shop. I began to mentally prepare myself for what costume would best suit me. I swiftly rummaged through my memories of my current favorite shows and horror movies to see what might work. I hadn't dressed up as one of the X-Men for a few years. Cyclops was cool and sleek, whereas Wolverine was fierce and badass. Either one could work with the right approach, but I realized going as something too common lacked originality. I hated the thought of one of my friends picking out the same costume, and then both of us becoming embarassed when we saw we were both wearing the same thing. I harshly shook those thoughts away as I pondered the horror movies I'd been watching lately. I briefly considered going as Freddy Krueger, but then I remembered Paul has been wanting to go as him for years now. Jason would be an option, but he's too lumbering and bland for my taste.

We finally pulled up at in all-too familiar parking lot as I instantly recognized all the restaurants, shops, and even the local movie theater I'd attended once. My eyes instantly brightened in excitement as I began to wonder what new costumes my favorite store would have for this year. I could have whatever I wanted provided Paul didn't already have his eyes on it. I quietly reminded myself to stay out of whatever aisle he was already in. The last thing I needed was him taking interest in a costume I wanted.

We parked directly in front of the store. I could see some of their newest costumes in both of their front windows. There was a brand new, brightly colored, Superman outfit in the left window with all the standard details. The one thing that stood out the most was his symbol on the chest-plate was uniquely stylized. It had a dark copper color to it with silver glitter, and encrusted diamonds lined up and down his trademark "S". Even as someone not into Superman, I had to admit the coloring and cool signia had me quite interested...until I saw the price tag. My rents weren't stingy when it comes to spending, but not even Paul could whine his way into making them shell out "60.00$" for just one costume.

At the right window, there was actually a Night-Crawler costume. It was practically an exact duplicate of the real deal too! It was colored to perfection, it even came with a dark blue hair-piece and that long, blue tail he has in back of him. I myself am more of a Cyclops or Wolverine guy though, and if I wasn't going as either of them, I couldn't see myself going as Night-Crawler. The price tag of "49.99$" only further dissuaded any remaining interest I may have had in the costume before hand.

My parents began to exit the car from their respective seats as me and Paul shortly followed their lead. Before opening his door however, he gave me one last douchey smirk and a final piece of "advice" before we both ran ahead to pick out what we wanted.

"I don't care what you pick out, provided it's not something that I want, or anything too lame. It's hard enough being seen in public with you, and I can't keep looking cool enough for the both of us. I have limits y'know!"

I just smiled and shook my head while preparing to enter into the chilled autumn night. I wasn't going to allow Paul to ruin what little excitement I had to savor for the moment, he'd already done enough of that these past few days. I quickly got out of the car wanting to get to a decent aisle before my spoiled jackass of a kid brother did so. Sadly, I didn't count on Paul turning into the Road-Runner as he high-tailed his way toward the 2 front doors of the costume shop. Hell, he ran faster than I did in the dream! My parents briefly tried to call out to him so he wouldn't go too far, but he was already out of ear-shot before their voices could reach. Silently, my dad made an expression that basically said "get him before he hurts himself". I repressed the urge to facepalm as I shook my head once more, this time in aggravation rather than calm indifference.

I wasted no time in rushing to where Paul was standing, practically salivating as he took in the various costumes, Halloween posters, and cardboard cut-outs of popular horror movie villains and monsters. It took me about 5 minutes to reach his position, upon which I lightly tapped him on the back. I tried rather poorly to hold back my growing rage as I didn't feel like getting banned from the costume shop I'd been visiting since the very first Halloween of my life.

"Would you do me a favor Paul? Could you wait until after we've purchased our costumes to get us thrown out?"

Paul looked down at the ground, keeping his mischievous grin while also relaxing himself a bit. It really didn't matter what I told him in all bluntness. He generally blocked out whatever I said to him, regardless of how nice or courteous I expressed myself before-hand. The only thing that could ever get through to him was a threat of some kind, one that he couldn't talk his way out of. I never really bothered to question it before. I've just accepted this was the way Paul's mind worked. Whereas I'm the type to avoid trouble and danger of any kind, Paul embraced it as he always had some way around it. Whether it be exploiting his baby of the family status with mom and dad, using my generosity to his own benefit, taking advantage of his own friends, and so on. He _always_ had a plan, or an exit strategy if you will.

Regardless, he said nothing as we both patiently waited for mom and dad to join us. Dad, being the gentleman that he always was, held the doors open for all of us. He also made sure to give a playful "wink" to mom as they briefly locked eyes with each other before she entered the store herself. I'll just leave the nature of what that means to your own imaginations.

Anyway, Paul and your's truly quickly followed right behind her as we both scouted each aisle for the proper section. The store itself was hardly Wal-Mart in terms of size, but it still had a fairly respectable selection of costumes to suit just about any taste there was. There were about 12 aisles in all, each of which featured a specific kind of costume for the holiday consumer. One aisle was filled with space-man gear. Another filled to the helm with more traditionally feminine stuff, such as fairy wands and princess dresses. There was even one for those interested in Tarzan, such as the grass loincloth, long brown hair wigs, face paint, and even the spear he used from the film. Plenty of quality options to choose from, but none of which suited my own immediate interests.

I sped through the aisles looking for the right one for myself. I knew I had to pick one that wasn't too far away from the one Paul was at. This would give me the best position to monitor his behavior, and with us being so close by, I could hear his footsteps if he decided to run off somewhere. I knew better than anyone how hyperactive he could get whenever he was excited about something, and there was no way I could afford to take a chance with him getting lost or causing trouble. As the older sibling, I was responsible for him whenever mom and dad couldn't be there. I'm not exactly crazy about the fact, but even a kid like me knows there's plenty of things one must do against their will...whether they like it or not.

My shoes skidded on the ground as I forcefully halted my own momentum from running. Here it was, aisle 10! This section was a treasure trove of monster movies, horror movie villains, among other gory, over-the-top scary costume supplies. If Paul was going to end up at any aisle in particular, it HAD to be this one! Feeling satisified at this realization, I turned my back to check out one of the aisles nearby, silently hoping one of them would have what I was looking for. Now that I knew where Paul would be, I could concentrate on finding the perfect costume for the biggest Halloween ever.

I gave a quick once-over of aisle 9 to see if anything would spark my interest. It was comprised of comic book and Sci-Fi heroes and villains galore. There was a Cyclops outfit as I'd predicted from earlier, and the price of "19.99$" was certainly holding my attention, but in the end I decided against it. With how popular the X-men were as a whole (especially with kids my age), I wouldn't be surprised to see 5 other kids with the same thing. I needed something special, something unique! I generally didn't care much about standing out, but this Halloween _needed _to be perfect!

Even so, I couldn't deny the selection was incredible all things concerned! They had pretty much every X-men hero, villain, or otherwise ever conceived before. The Sci-Fi side of things had great costumes for Star Wars and Star-Trek fans alike. There were these sick glow in the dark light-sabers for the Star Wars side of things. Darth Vader's helmet and cape both looked beautiful and in pristine condition. It even came with a voice changer to replicate all his most infamous quotes and sayings from the films. For the Star Trekkies, they got to enjoy authentic T-shirts that all the main cast were known to wear. There was also a plastic head-piece for commander Worf..._preeeeety_ sure that wasn't gonna be the look for me. Just sayin'.

I quietly exited aisle 9 in favor of aisle 8. I could tell by the loud slapping of shoes on the ground that Paul had found his way to his aisle of choice. That could only be good news for me naturally. Not only could I keep watch on him from a safe vantage point, it also gave me all the time I needed to search out a costume for myself in the process. I wasted no time looking my merry way through aisle 8 at my own leisure. This one featured costumes for popular cartoon and anime characters simultaneously. I noticed supplies and character specific attire for shows like Dexter's Lab, Hey Arnold, Spongebob, and many, _many_ others. For the anime side of things, there were costumes and gear for animes like Inuyasha, DBZ, Cowboy Bebop, and so on. I carefully observed each and every shelf for something that could give me just the right blend of cool and bad-ass I was hungrily searching for.

_Then..._just when I thought I'd never find it, a miracle had occured right there at aisle 8.

It stood dead-center on display within the aisle itself. You could imagine a chorus of heavenly music with the display surrounded by a golden aura of sorts to properly capture the moment in your head. It was a freshly delivered, silk white gi, not unlike the one Samurai Jack wore. Within it's plastic packaging also contained a jet-black sheathe with a golden stripe running down the top, and ending all the way at the bottom. It also had a pin one could use to tie their own hair in a pony-tail, another one of Jack's many trade-mark characteristics. The crowning jewel ontop this picture perfect collection was a light-brown pair of wooden sandals that Jack always wore. The best part of it was they were exactly in MY size, so that I could wear them on Halloween night without them impairing my mobility in some way.

It should go without saying by this point, but I didn't just want this exact replica of Jack's usual attire. Oh no, because you see...I _needed _this exact replica of Jack's usual attire! The details were sharp. The package couldn't be more complete if it came with a DVD for season 1 of the show itself, AND it just so happened to be the best costume for the look I was going for. It was cool and slick, but with Jack's stern, constantly serious demeanor and deadly, break-neck sword play, it also could strike fear in the hearts of anyone, be they man, beast, or otherwise.

I raced over to the display in a frenzied hurry. I was in such a rush I barely even could register Paul's foot-steps or excitement anymore. It was though the world and all that encompassed it had stopped, and all that mattered was the amount of space there was between myself, and the designated costume of my choosing. At least I'd have the costume in my possession before Paul ever caught wind of it.

Anyway, it took me mere seconds to reach the display before anyone else. I immediately snagged the plastic bag containing my prize off it's display before bolting to where my folks were. I was so excited I nearly missed checking the price tag before grabbing the costume. I was considerably pleased to know it was only "19.99$", which for a collection this perfect was a steal in every sense of the word. Of course, I also made a mental note to head back to aisle 10 so I could check on Paul, but right now my singular goal was securing my costume of choice for myself. I had little doubts Paul hadn't already done the same thing anyhow.

I found my parents diligently waiting for me by one of the many registers the store had. All I had to do was hand this plastic bag over to one of them, and my Halloween gear for this year would be all set! Before I could get crowded by the other patrons of the costume shop, I seized an opening in between the gaps of the various costumers attending the shop to reach my folks with the plastic bag still in hand. Since my mother was closest to me, I nearly threw the bag into her arms, and then right afterwards hugged her, gave a kiss on her right cheek, and rushed back to where I last left Paul. I assumed he'd of gone back to look over anything he might of missed (as I would have no doubt). As it turns out, me and my brother weren't always so different after all.

I reached aisle 10 in about 5 minutes or so. Much to my immediate chagrin however, Paul was nowhere to be found anywhere up or down the aisle. I forced myself to not panic as I attempted to calmly deduce where he could have gone. I harshly facepalmed myself square in the forehead at my own stupidity for leaving Paul to himself. I normally would never leave him alone anywhere knowing how easily he could either get into, or cause trouble simply on his own merits. That costume collection was a one of a kind though, and I became so obsessed with getting it to safety that Paul's well-being simply evaporated within the moment. I began to silently vow to never leave Paul unattended again, not just for his own sake of course, but for the sake of anything else within his immediate presence.

As I became disoriented by Paul's disappearance, I began to hear some of the contents on the shelves shuffle a bit. Was there a roach or rodent problem in the store I had no way of knowing? I quickly backed away and looked in every possible direction around me, to make sure nobody could possibly sneak up on me. I had a growing suspicion that Paul was pulling a prank on me. The only question was...from _where _would he strike?

If the contents on the shelves were moving around, he had to have been at the opposite aisle, moving things from the other side. The more jittery he made me, the more likely I'd want to exit from the aisle itself, and then _that _would prompt him to jump out and scare me by the time I did so. As much sense as that made to me, as fate would have it I knew my own brother way too well for him to go with that approach. It was far too predictable, even for him! If he was going to come at me from anywhere, it would be where I last expected it...

"**GOTCHAAAA!!!"**

Right on time...how quaint.

Sadly for me, Paul's sudden leap off the shelf had caught me completely off-guard. I was a moron to expect anything less from him, he was always pulling this kind of crap whenever he could get away with it. As I took in what few details I could manage in such a short span of time, I noticed Paul had already slipped on his Krueger costume. He was wearing a rubber mask complete with Freddy's signature burn scars and disfigurements. A christmas sweater, with rips and tears in the middle and the sleeves for dramatic effect.The infamous pair of razor sharp claws that he was known to murder his victims with, both in life and in death, and let's not forget his trademark fedora hat, which he wore both with pride, and swag.

Paul was no doubt testing the costume's scare factor out on what he knew would be the easiest target. In fairness, he wasn't inaccurate by any stretch of the imagination. Between how jumpy and anxious I'd been for a while now. Not to mention the pressures of having to pull off the Halloween plan I'd spent a year putting together, explain to my friends that Paul would be accompanying us the whole way through, AND that I'd essentially be babysitting him for next 3 hours during it all! Suffice it to say, I was one nervous brat, and Paul made sure to milk that fact for all it was worth.

I had enough time to analyze what Paul was wearing, but sadly not enough time to react to his approach. He landed feet first on my chest, with our combined weight causing us both to ungracefully plummet to the floor beneath us. Of course I involuntarily softened the impact of the fall...at the cost of my lower back. He soon laughed hard in my face as if though he just pulled off the prank of the new millenium, and to think all it costed were potential back issues for me in the future. At least nothing "important" was lost here...right?

"HaHAAAAAH!!! You should of seen the look on your face. Let's see how THAT affects your dreams tonight!!"

_Okay..._I'm more or less accustomed to this kind of lunacy from Paul, but when someone's knees or something just as stiff are firmly planted within my chest, that's when the kid gloves come off!

"Uhh Paul? Not to spoil your victory here, but you have precisely 10 seconds to get off of me before I explain to mom and dad why you're trying to eat your fedora."

Paul's eyes instantly widened in fear at the sound of my voice, as well as the threat I gently threw his way. For once in his life, he did exactly what I told him to do and practically jumped off me the first chance he could. He then ran all the way to the opposite end of the aisle, slapped his butt like the juvenile monkey he was, and ran off toward the right of the store. I facepalmed and snorted in pure anger as now I had to chase him throughout the store. With adrenaline flowing through me, I too jumped to my feet and proceeded to wherever the hell Paul could have run off to. I had zero idea why he decided to pull this crap now. It's not like he had anything to gain from doing this! Was he _trying _to get us both grounded?!?

Huffing and grunting as my legs carried my full weight as swiftly as they were able to, I could at least hear Paul's mocking laughter and giggles, giving me some direction as to where Paul was running. This continued until finally I saw him running through 2 doors of what looked like the entrance to the storage room of the store. I growled in rage as I shouldn't even be running toward here in the first place. Once again, mischief was one thing, but even so Paul wasn't stupid. I knew my brother well enough to understand he wouldn't pull a stunt like this when Halloween was right around the corner. So why in the blue hell would he try something like this when there was nothing to be gained from it? It just didn't add up!

At any rate, I shoved my way past both doors as I was still hot on Paul's trail. The room itself was dark and damp, there were no lights present here nor any special details about the room itself. It was comprised of a few concrete walls, a couple mountains of boxes crudely stacked ontop each other, and a pale orange light from some of the windows. I begun to hear Paul's mocking laughter and giggling become louder in here. It seemed obvious he was close by, but with each step I took toward the source of it...not only did it grow louder, it also sounded..._deeper._

I was rapidly growing unnerved as Paul's jovial laughing was starting to sound from someone much older. It was like his voice was undergoing a transformation of some kind. I cautiously took each step forward to where the laughter was coming from, though every remote scrap of rational thought within me was screaming to run from where I was as fast as possible. There was no way in hell I could do so if Paul was still here however, so that option was by far and wide off the table.

I finally reached Paul whom had his back turned to me, his head slumped down as it looked like he was catching his breath. He was still laughing, albeit much slower this time. Having reached my limit for unnecessarily creepy shit this fine evening, I firmly gripped Paul's left shoulder to make it clear I wasn't screwing around here.

"Look Paul, enough's enough! We should have already been out of here by now. Let's go before mom and dad flip!"

Just then...Paul's laughter went from playful and silly, to low pitched and sinister. It was at that point I realized, whomever or whatever this person was, it was _not _my little brother at all.

**_"Daaaaaaaaw, you're such a tight-wad Stewie boy! Why can't you be more like the little guy? He at least was fun to torture!"_**

The blood running through my veins stopped in that instant. My left hand flew off whatever this..._thing _was supposed to be. I used my now free left hand to clutch my now pounding chest as my heart felt like it was on fire. Each pulsating beat felt like a rock was being smashed into my chest as I recoiled in petrified terror at the monster that stood me down! With my back up against a wall, I took in familar features that brought to mind of an iconic horror movie villain not but 2 decades ago, that I knew all too well. The burnt face, the ripped, tattered christmas sweater, the razor sharp claws, the fedora, and that demonic sounding voice with a slight growl to it. The only major difference here was his size. He was the same size as Paul! Was he just trying to mess with my head? With a sudden surge of boldness, I angrily shouted at this monstrosity who implied torturing my little brother.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH PAUL?!?"

The creature's expression went from dark amusement, to a somewhat confused expression. It soon spoke again, taunting me wll the way with it's cruel sense of humor.

**_"What have I done with him you say? Why, I just gave him the scare of his life, that's all! As for you, I'm supposed to deliver a message, but I don't see why I can't do 2 things at once...know what I mean?"_**

_N-No..._my only brother.

"Y-...YOU SON OF A BITCH!!! If you've touched even one hair on his head, I'll rip off what's left of your hideous FACE!!!"

**_"Hoo-Hoooo!! Aren't you the brave one all of a sudden? Well if you miss him that dearly, I'll be sure to slash you to ribbons as soon as possible. Don't you worry, I'll see to it personally you'll be reunited...IN PIECES!!"_**

With this, the dwarvish abomination pointed his sharp, steel, talons at my face, and lunged forward to my position. I'm not exactly what one would call a natural fighter, but I have gotten into a few scuffles in school before. Most of them were from fighting back bullies and whomever decided to bother my friends. I've won more fights than I probably ought to, but it takes a long time to push me to the point where I'd actually fight back. I generally don't think about it, I just start punching anything in my way in my way, and this time was no exception.

In a blind, emotionally berserk rage, I threw the hardest punch I could with my right arm. I could feel my elbow snap painfully as the punch was thrown with all the strength my right arm had at that moment. My opponent saw the attack coming, and simply side-stepped me to the left, watching me stumble awkwardly to the floor, but not before I collided head-first with the wall in front of me.

Before I had the chance to regain my footing, the assailant placed his left claw on my back. He began to slowly dig his razor sharp talons through the material of my hoodie and sweater, and into my bare flesh. It was like being stabbed by the world's sharpest pitch-fork. I tried to jump up once again to fight back, but he proceeded to use his right claw to catch my neck. He pointed it's sharpness directly toward the back of my neck, with one slash he could easily tear it apart from this position.

I closed my eyes and silently waited for the inevitable. It disgusted me that I couldn't avenge my brother, but at least I wouldn't have to wait long to see him again. The only thing that remained a mystery by this point is what he exactly meant by having a "message" for me. Did he have some early funeral arrangements in mind or something?

Suddenly, I could feel him taking a few steps away from me. It was hard for me to move around as much due to the pain in my back from where his claws stabbed me, but I managed to turn to my right to see what he was doing. He just stared me down with that malicious, shit-eating grin as I began to wonder just what he had planned for me. Much to my shock however, this morbid freak of nature soon collapsed to the floor in a pile of dust. With a look of pure bewilderment, I gently rubbed my eyes with my hands just to make sure I hadn't imagined the whole thing. I opened them up only to be greeted with the same sight.

My injuries began to take their toll on my state of consciousness. As my eyes grew heavy and my vision started to blur out, I noticed something that scared the strength I once had back in me all at once. Right where that dwarven Freddy Krueger demon stood was now Wednesday. Her eyes displayed the same total lack of emotion as her arms were crossed as she stared at my pathetic dying state. Not only was I dying, I now was scrambling on the ground to get away from her. A task which rapidly depleted the adrenaline I had pumping through me. Wednesday soon began to approach my position, each foot-step feeling more omnious as she stepped ever closer to my writhing carcass. This scenario practically mirrored my dream in every way, including the fact that the pain I was in for the moment made it clear I could not be dreaming. With the little energy I had left, I decided to spend my last sentence in existence by asking just what I'd done to deserve it in the first place.

"What do you want from me?!"

As always, nothing. Just complete and total silence, followed by a maddeningly empty, unfeeling stare. She now stood directly over me, keeping her lifeless gaze on me as she pulled out something. My eyes widened in complete horror as I saw her clutching a huge, sharp, stainless butcher knife from her right hand. Rather than plunge it down into my back however, she got down on one knee right beside me. I closed my eyes as I embraced the fate that I had no hope in hell of escaping. That was when she spoke into my ear, with that same dull, lifeless voice she had from the dream. It was just barely above a whisper, and held no emotion nor empathy whatsoever.

"...**_Don't be late."_**"W-..._What_?"

In that instant, she plunged the 12 inch butcher knife into my neck, silencing me on the spot as my vision went totally dark once again.

However...as the darkness completely overtook my vision, it was soon driven out by a blinding surge of light. I quickly opened my eyes to see the two doors opened up, with Paul staring down at me from them, a confused expression lay evident on his face as he did so.

"So _this_ is what you do when no one's around. If only we brought the family camera."


	4. Challenge Accepted

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing pertaining to the Addams Family, beyond this personalized work of fiction. Thank you. :)**

As Paul stood me down from the door-way, an expression mixed with confusion and amusement adorn his face, I was speechless as to what just happened. Without even thinking, I moved my left arm over to the back of my neck, rubbing it slightly to check for a stab or slash wound. There were none to speak of, not even a slight cut or bruise.

I looked toward my right to see if Wednesday was still there, still clutching that butcher knife, with the firm intention of sending me straight to the morgue. Once again, there was nothing to be found. It was impossible to deny by this point, I'd suffered yet another one of these weird visions I've been referencing for a while lately. In any event, I was merely glad to see my little bro was completely unharmed. Other than me getting the perfect costume for Halloween, these were the only positives to be taken from this situation by far.

"Paul, you're alive! How can that be?"

Paul's genuine confusion began to overtake his typical cockiness. He gave me a weirded out grimace before asking me just exactly what I meant by this question.

"Hmmm...well for starters, I'm still breathing. People or things that are dead don't do that much...at all. Don't they teach you this crap in school or whatever?"

_Yeah_...he was fine alright. His douchey demeanor and sarcasm were still withstanding, which tended to dissipate only when he truly felt threatened by something. Regardless, knowing I was no longer in pain or in any danger, I immediately jumped to my feet as quickly as I could. I dusted myself off as my time spent on the cold, hard, concrete ground wasn't especially cleansing. As relieved as I was to find Paul completely fine, it didn't make me any less confused nor frightened by what I'd just experienced. If that wasn't Paul I chased into this storage room, then just who or what the hell WAS it? Not to mention, where the hell was Paul while all this was happening?

"Don't you remember making me chase you here? The way you jumped off the shelf in your Krueger costume, landed on me...any of this ringing a bell?"

Paul just stared blankly at my questioning. I couldn't sense any sarcasm or snark in it however. He genuinely looked as though he hadn't any remote clue as to what I was talking about. He raised his left eye-brow upward and turned his head slightly to the left before asking me a simple question.

"...Come again?"

"C'mon, don't mess with my head here Paul! You caught me by surprise earlier and taunted me into chasing you, then we ended up here, and-"

"_Look..._as riveting as hearing you go off on a deja vu tangent sounds, I think we should both be leaving here, wouldn't you agree?"

I sighed in defeat. Not that I blamed Paul for being skeptical in this scenario, but I wasn't fond of the idea of people thinking I'm crazy. I decided to pitch one last question at him before we both made our way back to the folks.

"Ugh, fine...just one last thing, where were you this whole time?"

"Waiting for you. After I got my costume, I've been standing with mom and dad by one of the counters this whole time, which made _them _make _me _go looking for you. Thanks for that by the way."

I facepalmed and grunted in annoyance. I didn't like making myself a burden or inconvenience if I could help it. Without another word, I made my way past the doors as Paul quickly joined me from behind. We walked briskly over to the counter where I last saw mom and dad before I went back to check on Paul. While somewhat worried, they were both overjoyed to see us both in one piece. I could only nervously scratch my head as I frantically tried to think of something to say. I doubted I'd get in huge trouble over this, but I knew my parents generally expected better from me than this. Before I could even open my mouth, mom soon perked up with a question I saw coming a mile away.

"There you are Stewart! Where did you disappear to honey? We've been waiting for about 20 minutes now!"

"Sorry mom, dad...and Paul. I ran back to check on Paul after I gave you the costume I wanted, and to be honest I kind of lost track of the time when I went to go look for him. Sorry if I worried you all!"

Mom and dad seemed happy with that answer, but my dad tended to respond to things like this with much more severity. He's been drilling in my head about the importance of an older sibling's responsibility to their younger brothers or sisters since I was 5. While I did take my job as an older brother to Paul seriously, the job could be (and ultimately was) a hell of alot more exhausting than it should have been. With Paul being the entitled, attention starved, cry-baby he was, I had to basically fight for my share of things whenever possible. He learned from an early age that being the baby of the family grants one special benefits that the older siblings never got to experience. He usually won favor with mom and dad simply for being the youngest, and he's always been better at talking to people than I am, allowing him to get out of trouble more often than not. He knows how to put on the charm and just what to say, when to say it, and exactly how to say it. It's the biggest pain in the ass I've ever felt, but all the same it's my cross to bear, and lord only knows how I've beared it for roughly 12 years now.

Anyway, dad gave me a stern look as he crossed his arms and began to shake his head. I gulped in pure fear and nervousness as that look on his face told me everything I needed to know regarding his current mood with me now: _we'll talk about this later when we get home._

Yeah...remember what I said about _not _being in trouble here?

The folks soon paid for our costumes and supplies, and we were soon making the drive back home before I knew it. I sat snugly with my respective bag of the costume I picked out for this year on my lap. Paul looked just as excited about his own as he glowered over it like he'd been given the key to the city. At the same time, I sighed in both gratitude and relief that I'd managed to secure one objective this time: protect my costume of choice from Paul or another costumer. I silently fist bumped in victory as I'd managed to do at least ONE thing right these recent weeks. Of course, I still had far more stressful and potentially dangerous matters to consider in just 2 days from now, not to mention whatever lecture dad had in store for me when we got home. At least for now though, I could rest easy for the moment.

It took us about 45 minutes or so to return to the sanctity and wholesome comfort that was my house. I turned to my right to look at what Paul was up to for the moment. His face hugging the bag his costume was in and his moderate snoring could only mean one thing, he'd fallen asleep on the ride home. I could have sworn he had more energy than that, seeing as how he was beaming with excitement of his costume when I last looked at him. Regardless, I had to concentrate on what dad wanted to talk to me about. If his expression was anything to go by, he didn't seem particularly happy, so odds are this wasn't going to be any laughing matter.

We pulled up at our garage before I could hear the car being turned off. I quickly grabbed my costume bag as I prepared to leave the van, with our folks looking in the back to see if we were ready to go. They immediately noticed Paul was asleep in his seat toward the left. My parents briefly looked at each other before wordlessly coming to some sort of agreement. I was somewhat conflicted, not really knowing if I should tend to my costume first, or help with getting Paul into bed. I decided to do the responsible thing first and tend to Paul before my own needs, before my mother halted my advances with her left hand before speaking up in a more serious tone than I was used to hearing from her.

"I'll take care of Paul, Stewart. Your father wants to talk to you about something important. Go put your costume in a safe spot in your room, then meet your dad on the sofa."

I gulped once more in anxiety, but made no complaints about her request as I grabbed my costume bag upon exiting the van. I made a bee-line for the front door while my right hand scoured my pocket for the key. I quickly opened the front door for myself and the rest of the family, wasting no time as I rushed through the living room and up the stairs to my bedroom.

As simple as this task sounded, I now had the rather bothersome chore of picking the best hiding spot possible for it. Even though Paul seemed quite pleased with his costume of choice, with the way his mind changed constantly, I couldn't let him see what I'd picked out until Halloween. If he took too great an interest in my own costume, he'd have no qualms with making me trade mine over for his, even bearing in mind the damned thing wouldn't fit me.

I decided on slipping it underneath my bed for the moment. I wasn't being given any time to focus on where to hide it, considering dear old dad wanted to discuss something with me in private no doubt. I rushed back to the living room as fast as my feet could carry me, but deliberately slowed down my pace when approaching the stairs as my folks didn't approve of running around in the halls.

I caught my mother on my way to the bedroom herself, with Paul in tow as he lay slumbering in her arms motionlessly. I noticed she also had his costume bag on her left shoulder. It was smart on her part as now she didn't have to make two trips for no reason. She gave me an expression that encouraged me to hurry up and join my dad back in the living room. I didn't need to be told twice on that.

I briskly walked my way down the stair-case, and over to the sofa, where my father was waiting for me with a rather grumpy scowl on his face. He gently nudged his head in the direction of the sofa, causing me to abruptly take my seat dead-center of the sofa itself. Before he joined me himself, he let out an exhausted sounding sigh followed by a low grumble I could just barely make out as he joined me to my right on the sofa.

My dad's left hand was near fully covering his weary looking face. I began to feel some creeping measure of guilt as I realized I was partially to blame for his foul mood. I had no intention of making my parents worry about me or Paul naturally, but I didn't count on another terrifying illusion to come haunt me at the costume shop. I just sat there in bleak silence, waiting for my father to regain his composure so he could tell me whatever it is he wanted to talk about.

"Son...just in case I haven't mentioned this before, do you know _why _me and your mother take things like this so seriously?"

I let out a soft, sad, sigh as I knew exactly what my dad was getting at. Of course it wasn't just our safety that he cared about, but the fact he expected better from me as a son. I slowly nodded my head to show him I was in fact listening to him, and not tuning him out.

"Your's and Paul's safety means more to us than you could _ever _hope to imagine Stewart. I know you already understand this, but being a big brother or sister is one of the most important responsibilities one can be given. It means that when either your mother or myself aren't around, _you're _the man in charge. _You're _responsible for Paul's safety as well as your own, and perhaps most important of all...**_you're _**also responsible for any kind of trouble your brother might get into."

He just _had _to bring that up didn't he? Paul's mere existence alone was enough of a reminder to me about the pressures I faced every day. It all sounds easy on paper I'm sure, but Paul wasn't just another atypical, bratty younger sibling we've all seen and heard of a million times before. The kid at times felt like some kind of humanized, caricature of a Looney Tunes character or something. He had more energy than I did when we were still in Kindergarden. He was a clever, charismatic, and manipulative schemer whom knew how to charm people into believing nearly anything he said. He also knew how to exploit even the tiniest of openings or loop-holes to get what he wanted out of someone or something. The fact that I've somehow been able to keep up with him for all this time is nothing short of a miracle.

"This is why I expect so much more from you Stewart. The reality is we aren't gonna be around for you kids indefinitely. One day, all either of you will have is your memories, and each other. So when we finally leave this world, me and your mom can rest easy knowing we've left two polite, mature, and responsible human beings on the planet whom can trust one another completely. That no matter what this world throws at you, you'll have each other's backs against all the odds, no matter the cost."

I began to frown as the cold embitterment of depression started to sink in. I hated when dad talked like this. He wasn't wrong of course, but being reminded of the day your loved ones would be kicking the bucket was not a subject I enjoyed talking about if I could help it. He seemed to sense my growing sadness, and kindly wrapped his right arm around me. His warm, fatherly presence began to calm my unsettled nerves as I listened on to his stern, but well-meaning lecture.

"I know you think I don't understand how unfair life can be, but you're wrong my boy. My own family struggled to make ends meet before either of you were born. I was forced to join my father in the work-force when I was only 13 years old. You don't think I would have preferred to hang out with my friends instead? Maybe go to the movies, ride my bike, or even go on a date with my crush at the time? You're damn right I would have preferred any of those options, but the truth was we were all struggling, and your grandma was very ill at the time. Bearing all that in mind...unfair as it might be, it was either work hard to feed the family and keep a roof over our heads, or go hungry and be left to fend for ourselves out in the street. To state it plainly, I didn't have any choice in the matter...not like you kids do today."

My jaw could have hit the floor at what my dad just admitted to me. He never once told me about any of this before! I always knew grandpa was a hard worker, but I had no clue that things ever got _that _bad for them. I finally spoke up for the first time since we began this discussion, though I could only manage a half-hearted question due to the shock I was still in over this confession.

"...You never told me about this before. Why now is all of this coming up though?"

"Because Stewart...I understand what it's like to be dealt a rough hand. We don't get to choose the circumstances of our birth, just like you couldn't choose being an older brother to Paul, or I couldn't have chosen being born into a poor, working class family just barely surviving off paychecks every week. Regardless, it's the choices that we make in life that define whom we _really _are in the end, not from where we come from. I had to struggle through most of my youth and early adulthood to give you both the childhoods you enjoy today, but I couldn't have done so if I hadn't decided to work when I did at 13. Those years prepared me for what adulthood would be like for me in the future, just like taking care of Paul now is what'll prepare you for what awaits you when you have your own life."

I tried with every fiber of my being not to faint on the couch after he stated this to me. My future involved wiping my kid brother's ass until the DAY I DIED?!? Dear God, now suddenly I wish the Addamses _did _kill me when they last visited.

"I understand what I've got to do by Paul dad, and I promise that no harm will come to him if I can help it. With all due respect though, I don't think he gives a single crap about me."

Upon hearing that, my dad's warm grin near instantly soured into a disappointed frown. He turned his head to face me directly, looking deep into my eyes as he firmly gripped both my shoulders. In spite of this uncomfortable position, I understood that dad only did something like this when he was trying to make a firm point. I knew what point that was naturally, but I wasn't looking forward to him trying to convince me of it.

"Now Stewart...you might not believe this yourself, no matter what I or anyone else tells you, but you're wrong about Paul. He might have too much pride to tell you this personally, but he doesn't just "love" you kid, he looks up to you. Perhaps he even idolizes you! The things he does aren't just to get under your skin, it's also so you'll pay attention to him. He's afraid of you and him drifting further apart the older you become. Why else do you think he wants to go with you and your friends this Halloween? It's not just about candy, it's so he can spend time with his big bro again!"

I wanted to laugh, _truly _I did. If I did that though, I'd be risking my Halloween plans going straight down the crapper. I wasn't prepared to flush them down over something stupid like this. I decided to play along so that I could finally turn in for the night.

"I'll take your word for it dad, but I won't lie...I'm pretty skeptical about this still."

He simply chuckled at this response, then ran his fingers through my hair, before using both his arms to pull me in a tight embrace. I happily accepted it as my dad wasn't all that affectionate with either me or Paul very often. In situations like this, it's important one takes everything they can get within the moment.

"I'm glad we had this talk dad, thanks. I think I'm gonna turn in now for the night, gotta big day on Friday after all."

"Alright kiddo, you go and get some rest! I hope what I've said stays with you son, because if I could promise you anything...I'm _not _making this up."

I gave him a bright smirk while he patted my right arm. I knew dad certainly meant well and all, but Paul's few moments of genuine kindness were like UFO sightings. They only lasted for a mere blink of a second, and by the time they were gone no one would believe you no matter how hard you tried to convince them otherwise. I finally left the couch and shot myself up the stair-case, preparing to take my usual evening shower before going straight to bed. I got out of the shower after about 10 minutes or so, threw on my usual PJs as I always had, then made my merry way back to the bedroom.

I was greeted with the sight of a snoring Paul who's back was turned as he lay sleeping. This was a blessing for me as it gave me more time to lull off to dream land alongside my brother. It should go without saying I needed every last precious micro second of sleep to prepare myself for what laid ahead of me. I had fully planned on using tomorrow as a way to prep myself mentally for Halloween. I had just a full 24 hours to cover all the details on the plan, not to mention whether or not I'd even accept the Addams's little "challenge". They seemed fairly adamant on not taking no for an answer. That said, I've ultimately decided that I will only go if my friends want to as well. Aside from candy, I had literally no reason to go anywhere _near _their mansion otherwise.

I quickly slipped under my bed covers as I prepared myself for a long, enjoyable, (and hopefully nightmare free) slumber. It seemed like no matter how hard I tried, the night terrors seem to follow me around everywhere. It wasn't just when I was asleep, but also when I was awake too. I know it's a bad idea to put something like this off, but I needed to at least make it through Halloween night before I could take further measures. I wasn't going to let my friends down after a year's worth of planning, and my folks sure as hell wouldn't let me go anywhere if I just suddenly started asking for meds out of nowhere. I had to tough this out, no matter what it took or what toll it had on my well-being.

I could finally start to feel my body relax as waves of exhaustion overcame me. My eye-lids grew heavy as I turned to my right, my blankets firmly grasped in my hands as I prepared for sleep.

_Poke...Poke!_

Okay...what the hell was _that_? Oh no...don't tell me!

"Yo."

I awoke to the sight of my younger brother on my chest, firmly planting his full body weight on the area that my lungs resided in. His bored expression loomed directly over my face as I begun to notice the lamp was turned back on. Now in a grouchy, frustrated mood, I immediately shoved him off me as it was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe. What could he possibly want now?!?

"You're kidding me...you pretended to be asleep this **_whole time_**?!?"

Paul firmly nodded his head with a goofy smile widely stretching his face. He clearly took pride in the fact he duped our well-meaning, but oblivious parents for the umpteenth time. I facepalmed myself with authority as all I wanted was a decent night's sleep, but with Paul around I couldn't even get that! Not wanting to draw mom and dad's attention, I decided to indulge Paul regarding whatever it is he wanted for the moment.

"What is it _this time_, Paul?"

"Would you relax already? I just wanted to know what was the status on the "challenge" thing? Have you made up your mind yet?"

Just when I thought he couldn't annoy me further! This is exactly what I'm getting at here, this kid just doesn't let up! While holding back my growing desire to smash the back of my head against the wall behind me, I gave him a straight-forward answer in the most controlled voice I could given the emotions brewing within me.

"If my friends decide they want to go...then _fine._ You'll have your death wish granted Paul, but if they decide against it, we stick with the plan as originally agreed upon. Sound good?"

Paul crossed his arms in brief thought as his head slunk down on a slant. He seemed to be deeply analyzing this new info I presented to him, which could go either way depending on his response in all honesty. Finally, he shrugged his shoulders while giving (for once) a fair, level-headed, response to what he was told.

"Good enough for me. Thanks again big bro."

I let out a tired sounding sigh as my right hand begun to scratch the back of my head. I was fully prepared to turn back around and call it a night, when Paul suddenly grabbed my right shoulder..._Lord give me strength._

_"**...Yes?!?**__"_

My voice was completely devoid of it's former tolerance and courtesy. I practically barked out this singular word with utter sharpness and desperation, causing Paul to recoil in fear as if though he just overheard a gunshot. I didn't mean to be so forceful in my delivery, but I was already exhausted as is, and thinking of what I had ahead of me only made me MORE exhausted! Why couldn't I _just _get a moment's peace here?!?

"I've just been meaning to ask...these weird visions you've been having lately. The nightmares, including the one where you soaked your own shirt in sweat, and then finally what happened a couple hours ago at the store...are you _sure_ you're okay_?"_

I blinked in absolute confusion, my expression held a hint of annoyance that was getting overun by sheer bafflement. Paul almost never asked or showed any real concern regarding my well-being. I might as well of been just another play-thing on the shelf in his eyes. I asked him just what he was playing at here, my tone maintaining it's skepticism and growing agitation as I did so.

"_D-...Did_ I just hear you show genuine concern for my well-being?"

Paul shot me a dead-pan glare as it became clear he wasn't screwing around for once. He quickly followed up his previous question with another, although this was more directed at my opinion of his overall character.

"Who do you think I am, Hitler? Yeah I know we rip on each other all the time, and I can be more than a handful mostly, but I still _care _about you dumbass. We're family after all, and more to the point, we're also brothers in case you've forgotten! Sure it's more fun to be a dick than to be nice, but I'd never wish harm on you either...for what it's worth."

A sudden burst of warmth began to seep from within the core of my being. I could compare this new, bubbling sensation to flattery, but I knew it was something closer to genuine happiness. We all know families are "supposed" to care for each other by default, but sometimes it just feels good to have someone confirm it for you.

"_That..._means alot coming from you Paul. Thanks."

He patted me on the back with his left hand as I took in the realization my little bro did care about me after all. When I went to look at his face however, I noticed he seemed rather worried about something, which isn't something I've come to expect from Paul very often. If he still was worried about me, I decided to quell those lingering fears before he ended up like me.

"If you're still worried about me Paul, don't be. I'll have time to figure out what's been going on lately after Halloween. I'm NOT about to let my friends down this year, and I'm not gonna let _you _down either for that matter. All I've got to do is persist until all of this is over, and then we'll try to work things out from there. It's not like I'm dying. It's all just excessive stress and panic. I'm sure things will go back to normal after this Halloween...at least I hope so."

Paul's expression began to shift into a more relaxed grin as he seemed to accept that answer. He lifted himself off my bed and returned to his own as he prepared to go back to sleep, with me quickly following his example. We both only had one more day to prepare for Halloween, and I needed all the time I could get to build up my strength before the big day.

"I have to admit...I was wrong about you. You're still an idiot in my eyes, but you're definitely no pussy, not by a long shot!

I let out a chuckle in pure amusement. Leave it to Paul to flatter you while insulting you at the same.

"I never thought I'd see the day you'd admit to being wrong about something. I can only imagine how traumatizing this must be for you."

"_Don't _get used to it, and whatever you do...don't milk it either."

With that, I flashed Paul a thumb's up before he promptly turned our lamp off, and proceeded to go back to bed. I was all too happy to finally get some well deserved rest and relaxation after the night I had. If I were honest, I should really be alot more concerned with everything I'd been experiencing lately. I mean, I am, but whether it's a sound, rational decision or not, making those important to me happy means more to me than my own well-being. I can't explain why I feel the way that I do, but all I know is I've made my mind up on this matter. Nothing short of a global apocalypse was going to stop me from seeing this Halloween through, with both my friends AND with Paul!

After a surprisingly decent night's sleep, the morning sun streaked beyond our window blinds, greeting me with the arrival of Thursday. This was the one day left before a year's worth of planning would come to fruition. I immediately jumped to my feet as soon as I opened my eyes, ready to start the day as I prepared for the biggest Halloween I'd ever experience. I briefly turned to my right to see if Paul was still asleep, only to see an empty bed in it's place. I checked my alarm clock to see if I hadn't overslept. It read "7:34", so I still had plenty of time to make it to school if I just hurried.

Later that day at school, I was surrounded by my friends at lunch as we enthusiatically shared details regarding the costumes we picked out. Jason was the first of us to share.

"Guys, I'm telling you! It's a one of a kind package! It has the green tunic, the master sword, those brown arm gauntlets with the Triforce in the center, a hylian shield with a crystallized surface, and even an ocarina crafted from marble! It's every Zelda fan's dream come true, and the rents bought it for only 10 bucks!"

We all chuckled at our friend's lovable, if dorky excitement. He was such a massive Zelda buff that he must have been as elated as me when I found my costume, if not even more so. In the back of my mind, I contemplated finally telling them about Paul joining us. I'd held it off for more than long enough by now, and holding it off for the last second would just piss them off even further.

Everyone was having such a good time sharing their costumes though, I didn't want to be a downer and ruin the fun for the guys here. Jason and Tommy could probably take the news relatively well. Marcus generally doesn't speak up all that much compared to the rest of us, so he could go either way to be honest. It was Bobby's reaction that worried me the most. Like I've mentioned before, we aren't on especially strong terms right now, and he's been fishing for excuses to pick a fight with me for a while. With all this in mind, I decided to let us all finish sharing our costume details before I spilled the beans. Tommy soon began sharing after Jason finished.

"Well, I found this sick black cape that goes perfectly with that tuxedo I wore for the dance last year. I've also got a cool gray hair piece in the same style as from those old-school vampire films from the 1950s. Just need to throw in some red food coloring and long, plastic fangs, and I think we've got an OG Dracula here."

We all gave a round of applause at Tommy's description of his costume. He always had a flair for the classics, I should know given me, Tommy, and Jason have spent nearly every Halloween together. I silently began to acknowledge that soon I'd be up after Bobby and Marcus had their go. I briefly gulped as my nervousness returned with a passion. Even though I was being truthful, I feared my friends would still be furious with me given how long I'd held off telling them. I put those thoughts at the back of my mind as Bobby soon took his turn with authority.

"My old man found me this awesome black leather jacket, alongside some matching black shades with these cool glow in the dark contact lenses. I've always wanted to go as the Terminator for Halloween, and now this year I'm about to make that dream a reality! Good thing too, with some of the costumes mentioned so far, at least one of us will be looking remotely cool."

We all gave Bobby the stink-eye as he begun to snort and cackle with laughter. He was like this whether in a good mood or not to be fair. Just one of those people who likes to pretend he's too good for you, and acts like he's doing you a favor by hanging out with you. The main reason he even joined our "circle" so to speak was because of how useful he proved during gym class. He also served as the back-bone whenever we had bully trouble from kids outside our school. All that being said, the kid was like Paul in that he just didn't know when to _stop._ Regardless, Marcus was 2nd to last after me as he began to explain his own costume to us in full.

"I've always wanted to see how I'd look as the Grim Reaper. My mom took me to a costume shop only a few blocks down from where we live. I picked out the longest black robes they had, then when we got home she pulled out an old rake from the garage. I've also got a full body skeleton suit, along with a pair of dusty, worn out, brown sandals to complete the image. Lastly, she managed to make this really cool, fake artery thing where you can pump blood through the whole costume. Not gonna lie, she really out-did herself this year. I can't wait to put it on tomorrow!"

A chorus of "oohs" and "ahhs" came out of all of us after we got done listening to Marcus's stoic explanation. Compared to everyone else, Marcus was the friend I knew the least about by far. Besides what I've already mentioned about him, I know his parents are divorced and that he lives with his mother. I've never been over to his house before, so I have no idea what his home life is like, and like I brought up previously he's the most quiet out of all of us.

Anyways...now it was _my _turn. Ohh God, I wonder how I should go about breaking the news here? I guess there's no harm in explaining I have 2 things I'd like to share with everyone.

"Uhh...well before I get into the details of my costume, I'd like to mention that I have something to tell you guys afterwards. I've been holding it off for a while admittedly, but since Halloween's tomorrow, you might as well all hear it before the big day."

As expected, my friends looked surprised by this confession, but merely shrugged at it as they assumed it couldn't have been anything too important. I took a deep breath before sharing the details about my own costume as my friends did before me.

"Me, Paul, and the rents all went out into the city to get our costumes for this year. I really wanted to stand out for this year considering all our plotting and planning. I throughly went over each aisle at least twice to make sure I hadn't missed out on a home-run, so to speak. Eventually, I found this perfect collection of Samurai Jack's usual attire. The silky white robe, the sword in prime condition with an authentic sheathe, a hair pin like he uses to keep his hair up, and even those little brown sandals he wears all the time. They got everything down detail by detail, and what's best is it only cost $19.99 at the store. It was a gold-mine of a steal to be frank."

They all looked at each other for a moment. I could briefly make out murmurs and other low pitched noises they were trying to keep out of earshot. When they looked at me again, they all gave me a round of applause, and Tommy as well as Jason even came up at my sides to pat both my shoulders. I felt a mixture of flattery and genuine pride as I really wanted to do something special for this year. It was just nice to see my friends approved of it as they had a habit of playfully teasing me whenever something less than "cool" would happen to me. It sucks, but you just learn to live with it after a bit.

Anyhow..._this was it._ I couldn't hold it off any longer, it was time to tell my friends Paul would be joining us. They weren't gonna like it, and I seriously doubted they'd be happy with me after I was through, but it _needed _to be done.

"_As..._for the second thing I wanted to discuss. I've held off telling you all about it because I was afraid you'd get pissed at me, and I didn't want to ruin Halloween for everyone after how hard we've all worked this year. Anyway...I just wanted to _saaaay..._that Paul will be joining us tomorrow for Halloween!!!"

You could listen to that last sentence in slow-motion, and it'd still be far too fast for the ear to properly record. The words I spoke shot out of my mouth like a cannon. I briefly squinted my eyes as I wasn't crazy about seeing their reactions to what I'd just told them. Sadly, they weren't taking it particularly well, but neither did they seem infuriated by it either. In fact, they were so surprised literally all of their mouths were left agape. I cringed in horror internally as no matter what either of them said or did next, I was pretty much guaranteed that it wouldn't be anything close to positive. Jason was the first to speak up after about 5 minutes or so.

"_You_...waited all this time to tell us this?"

"I would have told you sooner, but I had a feeling you'd react to it like this!"

"Yeah, you waited until the last day before Halloween to tell us it's all been ruined?"

Before the others could pitch in, I needed to gain back control of the situation before we all started turning on each other. I knew I made a big mistake not coming clean sooner, but there was no reason this had to ruin our plans completely.

"Look guys, I'll look after Paul alright?!? I know he's caused us all a ton of crap in the past, but I swear on my **_life_** that he's not gonna ruin Halloween for us this year. The only reason he's coming along at all is because I owed him for his help with the Addams family."

Before I could continue, Tommy soon spoke having heard the Addams being mentioned.

"It's funny you should mention them dude. I got a letter in the mail inviting me to their mansion last week, something about a "challenge" on Halloween or whatever."

Suddenly, one by one my friends all began to pull out envelopes of their own. I was surprised as for some reason I believed the Addams were only interested in me, but I suppose that wouldn't make for a very interesting "game", now would it?

My friends and myself all looked at each other with somewhat embarassed looks on our faces, and they criticized ME for not sharing my little secret first. I was the first to break the silence by addressing whether or not we would be attending the mansion to partake in this challenge.

"Guess I'm not the only one who's been keeping secrets huh? So anyway...what do you guys think? Is it worth it?"

They all gave it some deep thought as the silence returned for another 5 minutes or so. During this time, I noticed Jason and Tommy seemed to be growing excited for the adventure aspect of things. Bobby was rubbing his hands together, no doubt at the mention of all different kinds of candy we couldn't get anywhere else. Last but not least, Marcus basically shrugged it off. He would only go if we all went, not wanting to miss out on something cool going down, but not really caring enough to fully voice his opinion on the matter.

Soon, we all gave our answer to whether or not we'd be accepting the challenge individually.

"It sounds like it could be fun! I say we should go!"

"Yeah, we all do pretty much the same thing every Halloween anyway. This could be a good change of pace, let's do it!"

"If there's candy we couldn't get anywhere else, you guys already know I'm there!"

"I'll go if you guys will."

I smiled at my friends enthusiasm and bravery, but at the same time a lingering mass of fear and worry began to take root in my stomach. They all clearly took this offer as some sort of game, not really caring about the consequences either way. They didn't know what they were getting into, and neither of them knew anything about the Addams family. I can't say I know what their mansion is like either, but how many fathers get mad at strangers for not scaring their daughter?!? Truth be told, I didn't want to accept this challenge if I could help it, but now with them AND Paul wanting to go, there wasn't a choice in the matter now. Call me suicidal...or just plain stupid, but I'm not letting the people I care about get hurt, no matter the cost nor dangers to me personally. No way, no how!!!

I then mentioned some new additions to our original plan. I wasn't about to skip on a year long plan if I could help it, and the more candy we take home, the happier everyone should be in the end. Sounds like a win-win to me.

"Then I guess it's settled! If we all just pick up the pace a bit, we should be able to act out the plan like we've agreed upon. At 8:00 tomorrow night, we'll wheel it over to their mansion with the directions they left for us at the bottom of those letters. If we can pull this off, we should all be swimming in candy by the time night is over! Who's with me?!?"

My friends all began to lick their lips in excitement at that last statement. As we normally did upon coming to a full-on agreement, we all put our left hands into a circle. Then in unison, we all went "one, two, three", before finally shouting as loudly as we all could...

"**BREAK!!!**"

**A/N:**** For those of you left unsatisfied by the lack of spectacular fright or macabre wonders so far, please rest assured things are about to get particularly "mysterious" and "spooky", among other choice terms of terror in the next chapter!!! Until then, stay tuned and thanks for reading!**


	5. The Time Has Come

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing pertaining to the Addams Family, beyond this personalized work of fiction. Thank you. :)**

When I got home later that day, I noticed Paul was already waiting for me just beyond the front door. He was actually rather estatic to see me for a change, and I didn't have to guess twice as to why. He almost knocked me over as I made my way through the front-door and into the living room. As soon as I stepped foot inside and shut the door behind me, Paul yanked me through the living room and up the stairs to our bedroom. I just barely had enough time to say to mom who was in the kitchen, most likely fixing up some lunch for me and Paul.

He practically hauled me up the stairs in a hyperactive frenzy, completely excited at the news I had for him. He knew of course that our attendance at the mansion all rested upon the answers my friends would give at the request. I was surprised he had so much confidence they would say yes, otherwise he'd be nowhere near this happy. At least I'd be pleasing somebody here today, because tomorrow was going to probably going to be the hardest day of my life.

Paul shoved me into our bedroom first, before he quickly slipped himself in and shut the door behind him near instantaneously. He held his back to the door with both his arms spread around it, blocking any and all potential escapes from said exit. He was gasping heavily for air before he finally asked me the question he'd no doubt been waiting to ask since I first got home.

"_So_...what they say?!?"

"They agreed Paul, so yes we can go. If we leave a bit earlier than we normally do, we should still have enough time to enact the plan before the dead-line of 9:00. We're gonna leave around 6:30 tomorrow night so we can act out the plan. Then at 8:00, we're gonna wheel it so we can get there as soon as possible, and God willing not a second later!"

With that, Paul suddenly lunged from the door and embraced me in the tightest hug I'd ever felt from him. I had to wonder if he really was _that _excited at the prospect of going to a creepy mansion to visit a family he knew little to nothing about, or if this was his way of pushing me into death's embrace earlier than anticipated. A small sliver of hope I had really _did _want to believe he was just excited at getting to hang out with me, but my doubts weren't going to back down that easily.

I awkwardly patted him on the back with my right hand, before gently prying his arms off my torso. If there was even a prayer of everything working out as planned, it was extremely important I lay down some ground rules with Paul before the day was over. If he screwed this night up for us, I wasn't sure that dying in the Addams mansion would be such a horrible way to go. I gently maneuvered Paul over to his bed with both my hands on his shoulders, allowing him to take a seat at the foot of the bed itself before I got to it.

"_Alright..._listen up Paul. You have...no, **_need _**to be on your best behavior tommorow night! My friends are expecting me to keep you in line while we raid the entire neighborhood for candy, and what that implies is you CAN'T pull the same stupid crap you do every year! That means no unflattering remarks about other kid's costumes, no matter how much they suck or visually amuse you. No throwing bratty fits or temper tantrums when any house just so happens to not have the candy you want, and finally, you can't do anything to slow down the team either! If we're to accept this challenge, we've got to be at the mansion by 9:00 PM sharp, or else no dice!!! Got it?"

Paul looked overwhelmed by everything he was told at once, but his expression told me at least he was taking this seriously. I silently appreciated the fact I wouldn't have to waste further time drilling in his head the importance of not misbehaving here. I still remember the 30 minute long session we had just a few days ago...not something I'd like a repeat of anytime soon.

"Look I get everything, alright? You don't think I understand how important tomorrow is? You're not the only one that's been preparing for this day bro. I'm finally getting to go as Freddy Krueger for the first time in my life, and that's something I've wanted since I was 6! I know I've screwed up in the past, and there's nothing either of us can do to change that, but I promise I'll come through for you this time, okay? You just remember _your _role tomorrow, and I'll remember _mine_. Cool?"

Paul seemed serious enough with that response, but I couldn't afford to take any chances given what was at stake here. Not only were my friends counting on me to make sure he didn't get in our way. It also fell upon my shoulders to make sure nothing bad happened to him while we were out there, not to mention whatever the Addams had in store for us at their mansion. For now though, I was confident enough I could trust him to keep on his better behavior. It's not like he had anything to gain from acting like a brat here anyway, he WAS getting exactly what he wanted after all!

Paul side-stepped me to the right as he made his way to the door. He shot me a serious look before granting me one of his trademark arrogant smirks while granting me some "sage" wisdom, as he'd have you believe anyway.

"If I were you, I'd be less concerned about that dumb "plan" of yours, and way more concerned about the thought of seeing your beloved Wednesday again. She must have missed seeing your dweeby face this past week!"

The color from my face rapidly began to drain as just the mere mention of that name sent chills down my spine. I'd been so caught up with making sure everything went according to plan on Halloween that Wednesday sort of just faded into the background. Regardless, the memory of everything that'd been happening to me lately slowly begun to flood back to me all at once. Each new vision or dream just seemed to get progressively worse and more terrifying the more I'd experienced them. If I was to be scared of anything at that mansion tomorrow, Wednesday would be near impossible to beat for the top spot on that list.

As one might imagine, Paul's flippant disregard for my own feelings on the matter left me in a most bitter mood with him at the moment. As I gritted my teeth and balled my hands into tight fists, I made it abundantly clear to Paul that I wanted to be left alone for a while. Granted, he was already on his way out, but the sooner I could make him leave, the better.

"I'd start running out that door if I were you Paul!"

With a jump, Paul quickly opened the door and closed it behind him abruptly. At least now with him gone, I had more time to contemplate what the true dangers of this challenge were. There was the obvious fear of the unknown working against everybody involved. I knew nothing about the mansion itself, beyond whatever dangers or trials they have for any poor, unsuspecting visitors around. There's always the oft chance I'm just taking things far too seriously, and that the challenge itself isn't as literal as I'm making it out to be. Then again, how many families have a butler around 8 feet tall in height dressed up like an actual Frankenstein?

Then as before, there's the family themselves I know basically nothing of on a personal level. I know now of course they're beyond obsessed with Halloween or essentially anything to do with scary stuff. With that in mind, I couldn't expect they'd go easy on anyone bold enough to dare face the dangers of their mansion head-on. I was lucky to have support in the forms of my friends, and I knew Paul would chip in provided he wasn't putting himself at risk by doing so.

The parents, Gomez and Morticia, aren't what worry me so much. Yeah Gomez was frightening as all hell last time, but I couldn't see him getting involved in the challenge himself, at least not directly. Morticia was quite nice when she was here last, so she was by far the least intimidating member of the family to me. The big guy that they had with them last time was scary don't get me wrong, but he shouldn't be a threat as long as I stay out of his way. That big kid with the striped shirt was pretty intimidating as well, being noticeably larger than myself though we were about the same in height. He'd no doubt be something to look out for, but I'm at least somewhat confident Bobby could hold his own against him if need be.

_No_...there was only one person admist that whole family that **really **freaked me out, and I highly doubt she needs an introduction by this point.

**_Wednesday_**...the object of all my visions and nightmares for all this time. I couldn't understand why this happened now of all times when I never, not _once _had things like this happen to me before. I mean sure, she always did stand out compared to the other kids in school or in my class, but it's not like I've ever been mean to her before. Granted, I won't lie and say she didn't creep me out before all of this ever happened, but was that really so unreasonable? Her emotionless expression, coupled with the fact she was near totally silent every day made her presence all the more unnerving for extended periods of time.

I said before that I have nothing against this person, and in spite of my better judgement I still stand by that statement. That said, all this creepy stuff that's been happening to me can't go on forever. As of right now, I'm not just going to accept this potential death sentence to protect my friends or even make Paul happy. I'm also going to get to the bottom of why I've been having these creepy visions and nightmares, one way or another!

I landed back first on my bed as I took in a slow deep breath. I can't allow my emotions to dictate what I do here. If anything's to be done right, I have to keep my mind focused on what really matters. I've got to get the plan under way and bang it out in time for the challenge. Then when that's over with me, my friends, and Paul all have to work together near flawlessly in order to get through this thing in one piece. There's no telling what traps or surprises they have there, so we'll be going into this completely blind essentially. That puts us all at a big disadvantage technically speaking. We have no way of preparing for what lies ahead beyond "expecting the worst". The problem with that is...that's not _quite _the same thing as working out a solution.

The rest of the day went by harmlessly enough. Paul and myself didn't say much to each other following that "heart-to-heart" we had earlier. The silence was quite welcome in all honesty. I needed all the time to myself I could get to prepare for what was to come tomorrow. We'd all be circling the neighborhood at least a couple times or so to squeeze out as much candy as possible from our fellow neighbors. I love boarding as much as the next kid, but not even I'm used to riding for that long without a break. My parents gave both me and Paul a firm talk regarding not being out too late, making sure neither of us caused any trouble for our neighbors, looking out for each other's well-being. All the standard bullet points I'd come to expect whenever me and Paul went out by ourselves.

Later that night, just before bed Paul attempted to strike up some conversation with me before we both turned in for the night. I was still pretty steamed with how he threw Wednesday in my face, but it was important we were both on speaking terms for tomorrow. We all needed to work together here, and I couldn't let some petty sibling BS come between me and Paul's safety.

"So uhhhh...big day tomorrow, huh?"

In more ways than either of us could begin to imagine. I replied to his question with the same level of awkwardness as he asked it.

"Yeah...it really is. Can't believe it's been about a year since we all hatched it together."

Paul let out a small chuckle before his expression turned more serious. I could see the growing sadness in his eyes as it was clear he felt bad over what he'd said earlier to me. It was nice to see he understood when he went over the line, and it also pushed me into forgiving him earlier than I normally would.

"Look, about earlier today- I'm!"

"You're forgiven runt. Just keep the cheap shots to a minimum when we're out there. I'm not sure if I could hold Bobby back for long if he decides to kick your ass."

Paul gulped in fear at my little bluff. Bobby was an obnoxious prick sure, but he didn't have _that _bad of a temper. All the same, what Paul didn't know wouldn't hurt him, and it was rather fun having some leverage over Paul for a change. I held back the urge to chuckle as I reached over for the lamp to turn it off. We both needed as much sleep as possible if we stood any chance tomorrow night.

"Anyway, night."

I turned to my opposite side after switching the lamp off, my back now facing Paul as he returned my sentiment in kind. He was just slightly more timid in his response compared to my own however, for obvious reasons.

"..._N-Night bro."_

The following morning, I jumped to my feet as I wanted to get school over with as soon as possible. This was it, Halloween was here at long last! If all went according to plan me, Paul, and my friends would be entering candy nirvana before the night was over. That of course doesn't take away from the huge risks at stake here. I honestly have no clue how I'm expecting myself to travel around the entire neighborhood for at least an hour or 2. Then I have to wheel myself all the way to this "mansion" of theirs before 9:00 PM tonight. Finally, I have to survive this challenge they have in store for us all, and STILL somehow get back home before mom and dad have a conniption fit.

If ever there was a time to prove miracles do exist, I _really _need it for tonight.

Anyhow, later that day at school, me and my friends were all huddled at our usual table. We all were excited about what we've waited all year around for, and the excitement from the challenge had Tommy and Jason at the edge of their seats. Bobby rubbed his hands together in anticipation at the thought of all the candy we'd be hauling back upon returning home. If we actually did manage to pull this off, it'd be a surprise to me if we didn't need to make multiple trips to get the candy back safely. Marcus seemed slightly happy about everything, but like I said he's always been the quiet one of our little group. He'd rather let the others a chance to speak than take away from what they had to say.

Jason was the first to speak up having bounced in his seat since we all got together for lunch.

"Can you believe it guys? In just a few hours from now, we'll not only be scoring buckets of candy from the neighborhood, we'll also be earning candy no one in our town or even the city has ever SEEN before! This Halloween is gonna ROCK!!!"

"You got that right bro! This Halloween will be the stuff we tell our kids when we're all older some day!"

Bobby grimaced at the mentioning of having kids one day. In fairness, I can't say I was particularly thrilled at the thought of it myself. However, whereas Bobby was born an only child, I had a full-time job at home keeping my little brother in line. If anyone had kids that even resembled Paul, may God have mercy on their souls.

"_Ugh..._you know some of us are trying to eat here, right? Either way, before everyone forgets, I think we're all missing one crucial detail."

I gulped at hearing that statement. Sadly, I knew better than anyone what he meant by that.

Just then, my friends all began to turn their attentions in my direction. They each had a furious expression on their faces, which could only mean they still doubted my ability to keep Paul on the straight and narrow. I couldn't blame them exactly, but a lack of trust between friends was never an especially comforting feeling to have. Before they all kicked me out of the group for tonight, I tried to reassure them once again that Paul wouldn't be a problem this time.

"Listen guys, I don't blame you for not trusting me okay? I know Paul's ruined a number of Halloweens for us...among other things, but I swear he won't this time! If something does go wrong tomorrow, you can all have my share of the spoils, alright?"

They all looked at each other with surprised looks on their faces. I couldn't quite tell if this was a positive or a negative, but at least they weren't scowling angrily at me like before. Before I could speak up once more, Bobby began to slide his way toward me, looking at me dead on in the eyes. He clearly took this more seriously than any of my friends did, and it didn't take much thought to understand why. All the same, Bobby's stern expression and fierce eyes weren't helping my comfort zone at all here.

"Bet your _ass _it won't, Stewart. If Paul botches up Halloween for us all this time. Not _only _will it come out of your share of the loot, you AND him will also be banned from any future Halloweens from this point onward!!"

"C'mon dude, that isn't cool! It's not his fault Paul's a spoiled brat."

Bobby immediately shushed Jason up after the latter defended me. I wasn't exactly surprised that he would do this for me, like I mentioned before me, him, and Tommy all knew each other before we met Bobby and Marcus. If anyone out of the group would have defended me, it'd have to be either Jason or Tommy.

"We've let this go for years now guys! We've even been banned from multiple houses all because of him! NOT THIS TIME!!!"

I sighed in defeat. Bobby could be a smug, gluttonous, prick, but he wasn't wrong here. It might have been my idea from the beginning, but the group should never have to suffer due to one member or another. With my vote becoming basically obsolete, I just nodded my head to show I understood what failure meant here.

"...You've got a deal."

Bobby then extended his right hand to me, which I gave a firm grip with my own as we shook in agreement to what was just spoken of here. His grip began to crush my hand as he made it clear he wasn't messing around with me. I pulled it away shortly afterward as the force from his grip began to feel unbearable. As I did so, Marcus soon spoke up for the first time that day, much to the surprise of everyone else at the table.

"Be that as it may, don't you guys think we should be focusing on the Addams and their "challenge" thing?"

Everyone then turned their attentions to Marcus in that moment in time. Whether he was trying to bail me out of trouble, or simply saw the Addams family and their challenge as more important, I was quite grateful to have everyone's ire off me for the moment. He wasn't wrong certainly, no one really gave the matter any significant thought or concern for a while. I knew Paul's involvement with the plan would make everyone worry, but this challenge was stepping into completely unknown territory. I was the only one among us whom even had half a clue on what to expect, and even _that _wasn't much by far. That said, it's not like I'd ever seen the inside of the mansion itself, so who was to say what they had in there?

A few minutes went by before Tommy spoke up this time. He locked his eyes directly with mine as he tried to ask me what I knew about the Addamses from the one visit they paid me.

"Say Stewart, what can you tell us about the family? What were they like when they visited you?"

I immediately flashed back to the interactions I had with the family themselves. Gomez's impassioned rant, Morticia's easy-going explanation on their family's unique Halloween traditions, Wednesday's ever-present death stares from dad's easy chair, the big dude's intimidating stature, and that large kid's angry expression the whole time they were there. These weren't especially pleasing things to recall, but I intended to answer the question I received to the best of my abilities.

"Uhh...well for starters Wednesday has a brother. He didn't say anything, and neither of her parents mentioned his name, but he looked pretty angry the whole time he was there. He's about my height, but he's roughly as big as Bobby is. Her parents are Gomez and Morticia. The former is her dad, and he basically ranted at me the whole time because I didn't scare his daughter. Morticia is the mother, and she was the only nice one amongst any of them. They also brought with them this _reeeeaaally_ tall dude to my house. I'd say he's close to 7 feet tall, if not even taller. Lastly, Wednesday was her usual self. Just staring a hole through me the entire time while I squirmed around in fear at my seat."

Jason and Tommy looked surprised that someone so big was basically a butler for the family. Bobby seemed more worried than anyone present, but I couldn't tell if that was because I mentioned that massive, butler dude, or because there would be a kid about his size at the mansion. Marcus just crossed his arms as he took in everything I'd stated thus far. He seemed in deep thought at what awaited us later on tonight, but made no further comment on it as he stayed adrift in his thoughts for the moment.

Before anyone else could add on, I decided to speak up once again to continue the focus on the mansion itself. Compared to surviving through an old, creepy, rundown mansion which none of us knew anything about in advance, circling across the neighborhood a few times on our boards for candy was a literal cake-walk.

"Anyway, I've never actually seen the mansion itself, but given what the Addamses are into, I can't imagine things will be easy. This is why we all need to work together here! If we're gonna pull this off, we all need to be on the same page guys. There's no telling what they have in store for any unsuspecting visitors in question. No matter what happens while we're there, we've all got to stick together, no matter what!"

We all shared looks with each other as my words thankfully sunk in to my skeptical buds skulls. I threw my right hand out in an effort to get everyone to do as we did whenever we came to a universal agreement. It took them a little longer than normal, but eventually they came around and each placed their right hands along with mine. Once all our hands were together, we all did our usual thing which I personally lead for a change.

"Ready? One...two...three**...BREAK!!!"**

After school, I finally returned home after one of the most tense interactions I'd had with my friends in a long time. They had reason to be aggravated with me of course, but I never once thought they'd be this fed up with me. Granted, I know I'm far from completely innocent here, but it's not like I was the only one with something to hide. With that said, I made a promise to keep Paul in line and see us through this challenge, and that's **_exactly _**what I intend to do. The only thing I pray for is we all can make it through this in one piece. If fate, God, or whatever could do that _one _thing for me tonight, I won't be asking for anything else come this Christmas. I can personally guarantee that!

Anyhow, I waited anxiously in my room as I dug under my bed for my costume. It was now 6:00 PM, and in just 30 minutes from now my friends would be at my front door. I was now completely decked out in my costume. The white kimono, long black wig with the hair pin for the ponytail, my trusty samurai sword to my right hip with the golden stripe running down it's sheathe, and the small brown sandals which completed the package deal. I liked to think I looked pretty slick in it, though the hair itself didn't look quite as cool as I thought it would...guess that's the breaks, huh?

Paul soon slipped himself inside the room, having just gotten back from the bathroom. He too was fully clothed within his own respective costume. The black fedora hat, the tattered up christmas sweater, long black pants, razor sharp (albeit plastic) claws, and even the rubber mask with Freddy's trademark burn scars and deformities. He held a devilish smile across his usually overconfident face as he clearly took great pride in how he looked in it. I had to admit, it honestly rather suited him, though he still was a bit too small to make it look anything resembling intimidating. He soon called out to me as he noticed my worried expression.

"Yo! You ready yet?"

I turned my head to the left to face him. I hadn't realized just how panicked my expression really was, but at this moment I had every right imaginable to be worried! There was no more time to plan, reassure, remind, or otherwise...this was the big day! The biggest Halloween of my entire life, not to mention with a HUGE stake on it in addition to the plan I'd already constructed. We were essentially walking head long into the lion's den completely unprepared. All we had was our team-work, and our trust in one another, both of which were about to be tested in the absolute most brutal way possible!

"Yeah I'm good to go man...just a bit tense about the whole thing still."

Paul huffed at hearing that, seemingly annoyed by my honesty in still being nervous about what we were about to do. He was used to my hesitation in most things by now, but I'll admit I can get a bit overbearing with it at times. I just couldn't help it in this case, and in all fairness, how _could _I?!?

"Y'know, you don't have to be wallowing in your self doubts in here all by yourself. We have the rest of our lives ahead of us for regrets! Let's just get out there and have some fun for a change, yeah?"

I snorted a little before lightly covering my face with my left hand. I might have a tendency to worry too much, but that's only because I'm the only one to give anything any significant thought! Paul only tended to worry when the odds weren't in his favor, and my friends were always too busy living in the moment to think about anything else. At the same time, Paul made a decent enough point. I decided to reply in jest to lighten the mood and keep my spirits up in any way possible.

"Alright fine, lead the way bro."

Paul smiled at me before stepping out into the hall, leaving the door to our bedroom wide open. I promptly rised out of my seat at the foot of the bed before joining him out in the hall myself. We quickly walked our way down to the living room, where both our parents were patiently waiting for us. My mother was overjoyed at seeing us both in our costumes, which she demonstrated by tightly embracing us upon reaching the living room. After a little cheek pinching and our standard kiss on the cheeks, she quickly moved to the side so we could make our way out into the night. Paul led the way as I followed from behind, but soon dad placed one of his hands on my right shoulder, abruptly halting my progress.

"You can wait outside if you want Paul. I just need to remind Stewart of something before you kids go out."

Paul just shrugged before opening the door and closing it behind him. This left me at the mercy of whatever my dad wanted from me at the moment. He soon turned me around so I could face him directly, and placed both his hands on the tops of my shoulders, as he normally did when making a serious point.

"I know you already understand all your basic responsibilities out there. I just want you to promise me something...try and remember what I told you before, okay Stewart?"

I'm not the type to tell people what they want to hear if I can help it, but it served me no purpose not to just yes my dad away here. It was bad enough I'm essentially lying to both my parents anyway, and to make things worse I'm not even sure if I'd make it back home tonight. I firmly nodded my head to show I understood exactly what he meant by those words.

"Don't worry dad, I won't. You can count on me!"

He smiled warmly at me before locking me in a tight hug of his own. I embraced him back fully as it might just be the last hug I ever get to experience again. I know this kind of thinking isn't a good mindset to have, but I can't be too sure of anything that'll happen tonight. No matter what happens to _me _though, so long as I can get Paul back home safely, that's all that truly matters to be perfectly honest.

"Alright then, off with you now. Have fun and be safe out there Stewart!"

"Thanks dad, I will. I love you guys!"

My dad tussled my hair before allowing me to join my brother out on the front door. I grabbed my board to the upper left corner of the room before finally heading out. I first took a deep breath as I enjoyed the fresh, cool, crisp air of the young autumn night. I never really paid attention to the little things like this before, but I guess that's what we all do when under the threat of death. The things we never would give a second thought to normally suddenly become meaningful. When the idea of all of it being taken away from you comes up, you suddenly begin to savor every last moment of it possible.

Anyway, Paul was to my right as he waited patiently for my friends to arrive at our front door. I checked my wrist-watch to my right arm as it read "6:25 PM". Within just 5 minutes from now, if not even sooner, I should be hearing the rolling of wheels coming from 4 different skateboards. Paul gripped his own board tightly as he was clearly ready to get on with the plan. He was growing impatient judging by the force in which he grabbed the board with. I could feel my nervousness begin to resurface as the last thing I needed was Paul forgetting the central focus on team work here.

After a rather slow 5 minutes went by, I could hear my friends rolling down the street on the way to my house. The rolling of their wheels became gradually louder as the seconds soon turned to minutes, and before I knew it all 4 were upon me and Paul. There was Jason in all of the Zelda gear he mentioned at school, only difference was he was also wearing a pair of dark blue earrings as well. Tommy was wearing the large black cape he spoke of from before, in addition to his gray vampire wig, slight makeup, blood red contact lenses, and the tuxedo he wore for the dance last year. He did look pretty sick to be honest, even though the old-time horror movie monsters aren't really my scene in all honesty.

To their rights were Bobby and Marcus. The former was wearing his Terminator costume as promised, and in spite of the shared animosity between us, I couldn't deny he looked pretty cool in it. Finally, there was Marcus wearing his black Grim Reaper style robes with the rusty, somewhat bent rake he got from home. Those robes suited him perfectly, but the "scythe" he showed off was a bit of a disappointment. I wasn't exactly expecting a knock-out here, but it just made the whole look feel alot more silly than I know he was going for.

Bobby was the first to speak up out of everyone. I wasn't particularly looking forward to what he had to say given how he felt about Paul joining us tonight.

"Well looks like the gang's all here...how you doing Stew?"

I had a serious expression on my face as I took in a deep breath while preparing to respond, immediately fearing the worst of what was to come.

"Fine Bobby...nice costume."

He let out a snide chuckle before mentioning our little agreement from earlier today.

"Thanks man, just remember to keep..._that _in line while we're out handling the biz. Comprende?"

I gritted my teeth in anger at how Bobby referred to Paul just now. He's a demented rug-rat that doesn't know when to shut up at the best of times, but nobody but _no one _talks bad about my little bro! As tempting as it was though, losing my cool in front of everyone would shoot the whole night down in flames. I repressed the urge to violently cave Bobby's nose in as I gave the calmest reply I could muster.

"Consider it done."

Everyone nodded their heads as they turned their backs to me and Paul. We both joined them at the front as we all prepared to race off into the night. We began to wheel our way to the rendevouz point dead center of our neighborhood. From there, we all pick a street we want to ride down first, collecting from as many houses as we can reach before regrouping in order to pick out another one.

We were about half-way there when Paul pulled me to the back of the group. Confused, I lent him my right ear as he begun to whisper something...err, less than flattering about Bobby's costume.

"_Is it just me, or does Bobby look like a fat mini-me version of the Terminator?"_

Try as I might, I couldn't help but snicker at Paul's little quip at Bobby's expense. I was supposed to be keeping him in line and making sure he didn't cause trouble for the rest of us, but Bobby's friendship with me was on the rocks in the worst way possible. I snapped out of my mild amusement in order to scold Paul from disobeying my commands of not acting out.

"_Accurate, but what did I say about not bad mouthing others tonight?"_

Paul scoffed at what I'd reminded him of, but made no complaint as he took his arm off my shoulder. This allowed me to get back to full speed as I wheeled on ahead to join the others. Before I could gain any real momentum though, Paul soon joined me to my left to make another crack about one of my friends.

"_Also, what's up with Marcus's "scythe"__? What junk yard in **hell **did he have to raid to get that lame-ass thing?!?"_

Yep...this is gonna be a _looooooong_ night.

"...**_Paaaaaaul!_"**

I growled under my breath as my patience was beginning to wane rapidly. I had no time to waste on Paul's crap when we're supposed to be making the candy score of a life-time here! Then we've got a mansion of death to somehow reach before it closes, and then survive and leave before the night is over!

"Hey, I'm just saying!"

I sighed in defeat, having nothing else to add or comment with for the moment. I rode up ahead to join the others while Paul once again joined me to my side. Eventually, we reached the backyard of one of our favorite neighborhood houses like we all agreed upon for the rendevous point. After Jason pulled out the map from his left pocket, we all analyzed it briefly before deciding on a street to start with.

Once we'd picked our respective streets, we all raced off in different directions to carry out the precious deed. With Paul at my side, we were visiting 2 houses at a time, allowing us to cover more ground and rake in more sweets. I knew Paul wouldn't be able to carry too much of the loot on his own, while still riding at the same time. I wasn't looking forward to all that extra weight being planted on one of my shoulders, but I needed to make sure Paul could still run away if need be...for later on tonight.

A little over half an hour goes by and I'd been through about 4 streets already. Paul and myself were feeling pretty worn out, with this next pass being our 5th one together. I paused for breath and decided to sit down on a street corner not too far off from where the guys were waiting for us. It took Paul less than a minute to join me to the right as he abruptly plopped down on the corner next to me. We both huffed and panted for air as we'd been riding non-stop for a while now. How Paul even still managed to carry his treat bag was nothing short of a miracle.

"_Phew! _Wasn't that fun? What time is it right now?"

I quickly checked my wrist-watch so I could answer that question. It read "7:50 PM", I began to ponder if I'd have enough time for one more ride, but I decided against it as we needed all the rest we could get before it was time to head off toward the mansion.

"It's 7:50. We have about 10 minutes to rest up before we've got to travel to the mansion. Let's go, we gotta meet up with the guys Paul."

Paul let out a groan, not really wanting to leave his position, but made no arguments as he lifted himself off the ground. We soon wheeled our way back to the rendevouz point where my buds were also taking a breather from all the riding we'd been doing. They were doing far better than me and Paul were, but in fairness they actually took the time to pace themselves with every trip. I generally do the same, but having to watch Paul as well as collect candy gave me no time to consider rest.

Tommy was the first to notice our return as he turned his back to face us. He briefly waved in our direction, which I returned eagerly.

"Hey! You guys okay?"

"We're holding up Tommy. I just checked my watch, and it's almost 8:00. You guys still wanna wheel it to the mansion, or should we cut our losses and haul back the loot before it gets too late?"

Tommy looked back at the rest of my friends to see what they had to say. I certainly wouldn't mind heading back a bit earlier tonight, but I wasn't going to let my friends go alone without my help. I care about Paul alot, even more than myself in fact, but I care about my friends too. I can't, nor will I let any of them get hurt if there's something I can do about it!

"What do you think guys? Is it worth it?"

They all took a moment to catch their breath before answering one by one. Jason was the first to go before anyone.

"I've got plenty left in the tank still. Count me in!"

"Call me a cliche, but I can never do with enough candy. I'm going!"

"I've got nothing else better to do tonight. Let's do it."

Tommy looked back at me with a determined smile. Not that it surprised me, I knew as long as the others still wanted to go, he'd want to go as well. That's what he and Jason had in common, neither of them liked being left out of things. I can't say a small part of me doesn't feel the same way, but I digress.

"I believe the group's made up it's mind. The only question left is whether or not you'll be joining us?"

I turned my head right to look at my little bro once more. Before I went any further, I had to take his safety into account first. If there was even the faintest of chances I could get him to go back home, at least I'd be risking my life to protect my friends, and not _his _as well!

"It's not too late to back out of this Paul. We've already scored more candy this night than any other year before it. You're free to go back home if you want to."

Paul just emphatically shook his head to clarify he didn't appreciate my subtle efforts at protecting him. I had a feeling he wouldn't give in so simply, but I really wasn't in the mood for debating this at the moment. I had more than my fill of worries as is.

"You _really_ think I'm just gonna sit back at home and twiddle my thumbs while you go off with your friends to have the Halloween adventure of a life-time?!? Yeah, no sale big bro."

I began to grow frustrated once more as I wasn't leaving Paul out of this on purpose. I was just trying to be a half decent sibling and to make sure he wouldn't be put into needless danger. I replied again trying to persuade Paul into seeing reason, while also keeping my temper in check simultaneously.

"Do you have to make everything difficult Paul? I'm not trying to be a party pooper here. I'm just trying to be a good older brother!"

"That's all fine and dandy, but I'm _not _a baby Stew! It's not like I've slowed anyone down so far, right? I just want to make this Halloween one we'll both remember years from now. Besides, what's the worst that could happen? They could be harmless for all we know, and even if the worst should happen, we could just out-run them all on our boards!"

Jason scratched his chin in thought as he took in each word that was spoken. He soon gave his own opinion on the matter despite not being apart of the conversation himself.

"I know it's none of my business, but Paul might have a point man. Even if they turn out to be psychos or whatever, we still have our boards to fall back on. It's not like any of us need the extra candy anyway. We're all just going for the fun of it, right?"

The others began to nod their heads in agreement to his claim. I just sighed and shrugged, not really knowing how to refute anything that had been stated for the moment.

Soon, Bobby perked up with a somewhat annoyed expression on his face as it was clear he didn't want to waste further time on this matter.

"Uhh gentlemen? Not to be pushy, but time is of the essence here. If everyone's in agreement, I say we start moving right now!"

"Alright fine, have it your way Paul. We'll all head back to our homes to drop off the loot.Then we'll meet back here and head off to the mansion. If we all hurry, we should still be able to reach it before it's too late."

We all put our hands in a circle as we normally did upon coming to a universal agreement. Paul even joined in by putting his hand in the circle as well, much to my personal surprise.

"One...Two...Three...**BREAK!!!"**

**A/N: Okay, I fibbed just a tad. Make no mistake, things are about to become quite chaotic however in the coming chapter. I do sincerely apologize for how long it's taken to get us here, but for what it's worth, I will prove that good things come toward those whom wait. See ya soon! ;)**


	6. Enter Of Your Own Volition

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing pertaining to the Addams family, beyond this personalized work of fiction. Thank you. :)**

**Content Warning: The following chapter contains depictions of tense, frightening scenes and widespread mayhem. Due to the disturbing subject matter on display, viewer discretion is advised.**

After we finished dropping off the spoils, the 6 of us began to rocket our way toward the mansion. I used the directions at the bottom of the letter carefully as we raced our way through the neighborhood. It was by far the only real means of navigation we had as the directions we were taking would in fact take us out of our usual location. I can't ever remember taking these routes before, and in doing so I wouldn't be surprised to find us exiting our neighborhood all together.

As I went over the instructions in my head, silently remembering where to go without bothering the group, soon Marcus randomly decided to strike up a conversation while we were riding.

"Did anyone else notice a surprisingly small amount of kids out tonight? It's Halloween, these streets are usually flooded with them at this time."

We all started to consider just what Marcus was trying to say. I can't say I noticed it myself at first. I was far too busy with collecting candy tonight to focus on the competition, but all the same it was hard to argue that it was indeed strange. I decided to focus on leading the group to the destination over adding further to Marcus's point. Bobby soon did so for me in a tone I couldn't say I was surprised of coming from him.

"Meh, who cares? The less kids there are, the more candy there'll be for the 6 of us to go around. I can't say I missed the noisey little brats myself."

In spite of his brash demeanor, I had to admit Bobby had a point here. The less kids that were out meant the less competition there was for collecting candy, which could only mean a bigger score for everyone involved. However, that still didn't change the fact it was quite odd for most of the kids to be gone from the neighborhood at this time. I didn't have time to think about it further though. Right now I had to concentrate on making sure I was going the right way to the mansion.

Soon, the streets we were riding down began to take a rather disturbing turn. The trees went from colorful Autumn foilage, to being barren and crooked. The branches on each hung awkwardly as if though they could fall off and pelt the ground at any moment.

The houses to our left and right resembled nothing like the previous ones we'd all visited many times before. They appeared _much _older than anything I could remember seeing before. Their decorations were considerably more morbid than anything else I'd seen in all the years I'd ever went trick-or-treating as well. One house had an old, depressing looking doll that was hung on the door by it's neck with a small rope. Another had a doll with it's head missing, being positioned directly above a small brown basket, which was overlooked by a guillotine. There was also a large human shaped rubber bat with blood-red eyes and huge fangs dangling on the roof of one house. Though it was obviously fake, it was so huge and realistic looking it damn near scared us off our boards collectively. There were also 3 scare-crows tied to 3 separate posts, in a manner similar to witch burnings from centuries ago.

There were several other creepy examples that I'd rather not go into detail about. The bottom line is, these houses definitely didn't belong to our neighborhood, which could only mean one thing...we were no longer in our immediate neighborhood presently. I can't say I'm entirely surprised by this turn of events, but the fact I was already getting immensely creeped out when we haven't even reached the mansion yet wasn't helping my confidence at all.

In addition, there was also a dense fog beginning to form as we rode through the streets. I groaned in annoyance as I wasn't happy with the idea of crashing into something because I can't see what's in front of me. I did what I could to take my mind off the growing terror forming inside me. The worst part of it all was the complete silence that remained constant as we traveled through each street. If we weren't riding at the moment, you could hear a pin drop on the ground. It added to the creepy atmosphere that surrounded us all.

Eventually, Marcus spoke up in a worried tone as the sights around us began to take a toll on him as well. It was nice to know I wasn't alone in feeling unnerved by what was going on around us.

"Would somebody _please _tell me we're almost there? These houses look like something out of the 1700s!"

I tried to straighten my mind out as I desperately reached for an answer. I had to keep the others from panicking, even if it meant stretching the truth for the time being.

"I'm sure it can't be too far off now. The letter mentioned something about a bright light in the distance which is supposed to lead to the mansion itself. We should be seeing it any minute now!"

Well, that was a half-truth at least. The letter did mention something about a light in the distance, but I had yet to see anything of the sort between the darkness and now this stupid fog being in the way. The only thing I could do was hold out hope we'd see it soon enough. My dwindling courage could use all the support it could get by this point.

Then, as if on cue, I could finally start to see that bright light the letter talked about. It glowed somewhat omniously in the distance as I began to speed up toward it. I motioned with my left hand for the group to join me as we all started to pick up the pace. The fact that we'd soon be out of this creepy as hell neighborhood provided all the motivation needed to wheel us toward the source of the light ever faster.

As we rode onward, the light continued to glow ever brighter, and ever closer to our current location. It couldn't have come at a better time to be honest. With how thick the fog was becoming, how creepy the houses that surrounded us were, and how eerily silent this area was, anywhere with lights and people felt like salvation at this point. I continued to lead the pack as we barrelled down the empty, macabre, streets that were completely foreign to us.

After what felt like eternity, we finally came across a large building just a single block down from where we were. The area surrounding us by this point was just barely illuminated. The street lights seemed old and in disrepair, and were flickering on and off every 5 minutes or so. Though the fog had cleared up a little, a sharp gust of wind howled it's way through the old, barren, trees that greeted us at every pass. As we neared further to the mansion, I noticed the houses surrounding us by this point were even older than the ones before it. They were all boarded up and dilapitated, falling apart splinter by splinter as the paint covering them had already chipped away long ago.

We raced even faster as the mansion was in our reach at long last. It turns out the bright glowing light that guided our way here was actually comprised of several lights. It seemed like every room in the house had it's lights on, for what reason completely escaped me. Had they already started without us? Did I in fact just wheel my way over here with both my friends, AND little brother for no reason at all? There's only one way I know of to answer these questions.

Our boards screeched to a halt once we came to the front gate. Just like the houses we past by, it seemed very worn down with time and in sub-par condition. The black paint that at one time covered it fully had given way to rust and decay. It's exterior proved so rusted I nearly cut my right hand on it when I reached over to touch it. The house itself looked to have at least 5 floors to it, and seemed just as old as everything we'd seen already. The windows had old blinders on them, like something from over a century ago.

I began to realize that the mansion didn't look too far off from the one I saw in my dream. Was that dream supposed to be some kind of "premonition" then? Not that I'd know anything about that kind of stuff, but I'm not seeing any other explanation here by far. With a little more force than before, I attempted to push open the gate, which opened up with a deafening creak that startled us all.

Slowly, we all began to walk our way over to the front door of this creepy, old, seemingly Victorian style mansion in front of us. As we approached the door, I could begin to hear numerous voices bantering idle gibberish at each other. The voices sounded young and squeaky, like they belonged to children about our age if not even younger. There were alot of them as well, all of which had to be gathered together in a single area then, for them to sound so clear and nearby.

I also saw that big kid with the striped shirt standing guard by the front door, alongside that lumbering giant that was with them from their one visit. He was still dressed up like Frankenstein as he was before. The only difference was the small, black, cap he wore. Could he be their personal driver as well as their butler?

Either way, I stopped in front of him and the big guy with my friends right behind me. The kid still had that angry expression on his face from before, although the big dude seemed more neutral this time around. I tried to keep my cool as having both so close to me at this moment wasn't doing my increasing anxiety any favors.

"Uhhh, hey. We're here for the challenge thing. Is it too late to enter now?"

The kid had his arms crossed as he took a brief look at his family's butler before looking right at me. He didn't seem very happy at seeing me again, but I didn't wheel my way over here just to be turned back. He then spoke up with a rather stern tone to his voice. That same mad, uninviting, grimace remaining ever present on his face as he did so.

"You're just in time actually. We were about to lock the doors and start without you. Before you can come in, I need your letters for proof of your invitations."

I checked my wrist-watch as it said "8:56". We'd only just made the dead-line by about a nose as it were. I'm not quite sure if that's even a good thing to be frank, but I suppose it's better than having to turn back into that creepy as hell neighborhood again. I pulled out my letter from inside my white kimono as everyone else did the same. Paul never received one of his own, but I remembered that family members can enter as long as they're invited by a relative whom had received an invitation prior.

We all handed our invitations in one by one as the kid analyzed each one quietly. After a minute or so, he nodded his head gently as if to signify we'd been granted access to the mansion. He tucked them into his right pocket as we began to proceed closer to the door. He still blocked our entry with his body as he held up his left hand. I could only imagine what it was he needed _now_.

"Sorry, but I can't let you bring those in."

We all looked toward our boards to see if that's what he meant. I blushed in embarassment as I should have known we wouldn't be allowed to use them while inside. Just then, the butler started to walk his way over to us, each step he took made the floor-boards underneath us shake and tremor. He then gestured with both of his hands for us to give him our boards for safe keeping, which we did with mild reluctance. He then let out a low, monstrous, growl which caused just about every strand of hair I have on my body to stand up all at once.

"**_Hrrrrrrggggh._**"

With that, we all backed away from him in fear almost in order. The kid opened the door for the behemoth carrying our boards as he entered into the mansion. He held his back to the door as he gestured with his left hand for us to proceed, which we all did so without question. From inside, I could see kids our age and younger all huddled together in one large foyer. There had to be at least 30 of them in all. At least that explains why the streets were so quiet back in our own neighborhood.

The foyer itself was decorated with a large red carpet running down into another room I couldn't make out so well. It was a fairly spacious location with 2 stair-cases to the left and right, which led to a circular hall-way just above us. The rest of the decorations involved 2 large, black gargoyle statues to both sides of the front door. The sides had some basic furniture such as desks, chairs, a few windows with bars on them, and 2 small sofas with 2 black pillows adorn them.

A couple of tables with old lamps that looked at least 70 or 80 years out of date were also present. There were also a couple of tall suits of black knight armor which complimented the other statues lined up with the walls themselves. Lastly, a large, black, chandlier was dangling and creaking somewhat omniously just above all our heads. This prompted me to drag Paul out of the way as I didn't trust it wouldn't fall upon us eventually. My friends joined me to the right as we began to whisper to ourselves what we'd gotten ourselves into. Jason was the first to speak amongst us all.

"_Well_..._At least now we now where all the kids were tonight."_

"_Never mind these losers! Did you all get a good look at that tall freak? He makes Andre the Giant look like a circus clown midget!"_

"_Dude, keep your voice down! We don't want to piss him off, especially since now he has hold of our boards. I'm not sure what's going on here, but I didn't expect this mansion to be so...primitive looking!_"

"_So when does this thing start? Where's the family at?_"

That last question was about the only thing I honed in on. Luckily, we didn't have to wait long for it to be answered. My eyes caught sight of a familiar slender, pale, figure fully clad in black sauntering her way down the left stair-case in a most mesmerizing way. She practically floated down the stairs with such grace and elegance it was like she wasn't even walking at all. Her face carried a stoic expression as she took in every kid that had shown up to accept the challenge. That stoic expression soon developed into a warm grin as the voices in the room screeched to a stifling hault.

"Welcome to our home."

Every kid in the foyer was seemingly entranced by this gothic, yet enchanting woman's poise. Even though I know little about her personally, the way she could address an entire room of strangers just by walking down a flight of stairs had to be seen to be believed. We all stood by wordlessly as she began to speak to us once more.

"My husband will be down in a few moments to explain the rules of our little game. In the mean time, please make yourselves comfortable."

The room began to perk up once again as confusion and debate erupted between the guests. I held Paul close to my side as my friends and me began to regroup in the center of the room itself. I was beyond nervous to see Gomez again given how he basically bit my head off last time at my house, but it gave me further incentive to see this challenge through all the same. Perhaps when we're finished (IF I manage to survive of course), I can ask him about why I've been having weird visions and nightmares lately. If anyone's to know the cause, it ought to be at least one of these people.

In what felt like a mere flash of light, Gomez suddenly slid down the ramp of the right stair-case. He was dressed to the nines in a black and white smoking jacket. His pants were pitch black, alongside his black dress shoes which seemed freshly polished. He seemed almost insane with happiness as his grin was stretched out further than I thought a normal human smile could go. His slick, black, hair was neatened out straight and his manner was completely flashy and exaggerated. I have to admit, he definitely knows how to make an entrance.

"Welcome one and all, to our yearly Halloween tradition...**_THE MANSION OF SUUUUURVIVAAAAAAL!!!_**"

We all let out a cheer without even thinking about it. Even though I've basically signed my own death warrant by coming here, it just seemed like the polite thing to do.

"Now then! Before we begin, I trust everyone present has already read the fine print? If so, then you all must know the rules of this challenge by now! For those struggling to recall, allow me to break them down for you all. As you should know by now, you all must survive our lovely abode's trials and dangers that surround you all. The lone child or group that can survive for a full 3 hours, or find the grand prize wins the challenge. A mountain of candy the likes of which most of you have never even thought existed!"

Not that I'd know for sure, but I'm almost positive every kid's lips were smacking at that announcement. I can't focus on that right now though. We have far more to lose if we fail to complete this challenge than a mountain's worth of untold candy. I tightened my grip on Paul's right hand as I continued to listen to Gomez's enthusiastic explanation.

"When the challenge begins, the doors behind you will be locked. Your goal throughout this challenge is to find keys which will unlock doors for you. You have precisely 20 minutes to find a key in the current room you are in before you are trapped there. Once you've braved every room on a certain floor, you must progress onward to the next floor of our house, where you must repeat the process again. This will continue until you have located the grand prize for yourself or your group, or have simply survived for a full 3 hours. Oh, and before I forget, here's 2 additional factors that will come into play as you travel throughout the mansion!"

With this, Gomez put his index finger and thumb from his left hand into his mouth to whistle. Slowly, 2 figures emerged from the room I mentioned earlier. As I took in both of their appearances, I noticed the first one was the big kid whom seemed to have something against me. To my surprise, he was holding a large axe that looked straight out of the middle ages, causing my heart to start beating a few ticks faster. The other figure I recognized as having long, dark braids. A black dress that reminded me of what people usually wore around at funerals, and that infamous, cold, unfeeling, stare that always froze my blood over in an instant. She was also carrying what looked to be a large, heavy, crossbow with ease, further setting my paranoia wracked mind into an uncontrollable frenzy.

Before I could scream out in pure fear, Gomez continued to speak again which effectively shushed me into silence once more.

"Dear guests, I'd like for you all to meet our 2 children. Wednesday, and Pugsley! They will be constantly hunting you down as the night progresses, and you must do everything in your power to avoid them. For you see...if they _catch _you at any point during the night, they will show you no mercy I'm afraid. I'll just leave your imaginations to fill in the blanks as to what that means!"

A good portion of the participants seemed to be as worried as I was at that description. Maybe even more so than I am at the moment. I was strongly contemplating just grabbing Paul and running out the front doors like a bat out of hell, but then I'd be abandoning my friends in the process. I decided to allow Gomez to finish his explanation before I made my move.

"Very well then, now if anyone wishes to back out of the challenge before it begins. Our butler Lurch will see you back to your homes in our family hearse. My good man, if you'd please?"

Just then, the massive servant for this most bizarre family held open the front doors with his large frame. His gesture was friendly and cordial, at least on the surface from what I could tell. I noticed about 5 kids from the large crowd of kids decided to turn tail and leave while they still were able to. I had half a mind to steal the "hearse" myself and drive off into the night with Paul in the passenger's seat. All the same, I decided to try and persuade my buds first that leaving this creepy manor was the best decision.

"_Guys! Don't you think we've seen enough fun for one night? Are we sure we want to risk this?"_

_"I'll admit, this is alot more intense than I thought it be, but I'm not backing down from the challenge Stewart!"_

_"Yeah, same here man. It obviously looks dangerous, but that's what makes it fun in the first place! Don't worry Stew, we'll all make sure to look after Paul throughout the night!"_

_"Pfft, speak for yourselves! I'm walking away with a gold-mine's worth of candy! Nothing and nobody is standing in my way tonight!"_

Marcus just shrugged, he clearly had no idea how to respond to either the challenge or what the group was saying. This caused me to turn Paul around by his shoulders as I tried for one last time to convince him to turn back while we still could.

_"Paul, please tell me you've seen enough tonight! Is fun and adventure really worth putting our lives at stake?!?"_

_"Would you just shut up and relax for once? Those weapons could be fakes for all we know! At least for once we'll be having a Halloween worth remembering down the line, and even if we are both in danger, I'm NOT letting you play the hero with your friends all night long bro. If we're gonna see this through, we all gotta work together! Isn't that what you've been saying this whole time?"_

I was taken back a bit from what Paul reminded me of, but I couldn't deny he was right here. I let out a snarl as Paul beat my logic once again. Of course, it doesn't change the fact no harm will come to him if I can help it. I don't know how, but I'll see to it personally at least my little brother will make it out of this in one piece, no matter what happens to me!

I took one last glance at the outside as 5 kids about Paul's age briskly walked out. This caused the big guy (whom I now knew to be Lurch) to close the doors behind him, locking them as he did so. I gulped in fear as the locking of those doors signified I was now essentially a prisoner here. Gomez was in the process of finishing up his explanation of the rules of the game, which forced my attention right back on him.

"Well then, if everyone's in agreement. Let the yearly Mansion of Survival...BEGIN!!!"

Just as he said that, the lights in the foyer went completely out, leaving everyone present in total darkness. A chorus of concerned gasps and murmurs began to break out as I made sure I was still holding Paul. I couldn't see him (or anything at the moment), so it was important that he and my friends were still close by. In a near panic attack, brought on by pure desperation, I called out to the whole group in the hopes they were still by my side.

"Is everyone still here?!? Stay together guys, no matter what happens!"

A minute or so goes by and the lights are on again. I gasped in utter relief as the first thing I saw were the startled expressions on my friends faces. Paul was to my side, tightly hugging my right leg as he always had a fear of the dark since he was little...well, "littler" I guess would be more fitting here. I turned my head to the right to see Gomez, Morticia, Pugsley, and Wednesday all gone from their original spots. I began to panic once again as the fact they were all now gone meant they could be anywhere, which just made me nervous simply on principle.

Suddenly, the various statues and knightly suits of armor began to walk as if though they were alive. The 2 gargoyle statues I mentioned from earlier let out a deafening roar as both their eyes glowed an omnious shade of red. They then began to literally hop their way to our location. The statues of monsters and suits of armor also began to close in on everyone involved. The other kids predictably all broke out into a terrified hysteria, and began running all about the foyer itself in desperate search of the keys to unlock other doors.

There really wasn't any time to think about it or process things. I just grabbed Paul's hand and ran as fast as I could in a random direction. My friends stayed to my rear as we all charged for the sofa to the right of the room. Once we reached it, I joined Bobby to the right as we tried to lift it. Jason and Tommy took the left as we heaved the sofa into the air. That left Marcus and Paul to grab whatever we could force out of it's cushions. After we shook it down for a couple of minutes, we realized that nothing was falling from it. I let out a curse as we needed a key to get out of the danger we were currently in. Any one of the other kids could have easily gotten one by now, leaving us with one less to go around.

Speaking of which, the other kids were beginning to dwindle in number. Some had managed to escape into other rooms, whereas others were getting rounded up by the moving statues and suits of armor that were now moving toward us. After a quick head count, I managed to deduce only about 10 kids outside our group were still in the room with us. The screams of pure fear and pleas for mercy were putting my heart rate into danger zones. One kid was being grabbed by a statue without a head and brutally thrown into a wall. Another was being sandwiched between the 2 gargoyle statues for trying to escape, like they were trying to smush him alive or something. One of the moving suits of armor was swinging a large, steel mace at the last group of kids as they fled in a traumatized horror.

As I became almost entranced by what I was seeing, the corner of my right eye caught 2 suits of knight armor charging toward us with both of their arms stretched out. I reacted on pure instinct and joined in my friends efforts as we still held onto the sofa. With all 6 of us combined, we threw the sofa right at the 2 walking suits of armor, causing them to fall apart as it crashed into both of them. I immediately scrambled to their dislocated remains to see if one of them was carrying a key. Much to my relief, a key was apparently hidden within the chest plate of one of the suits. I briefly studied the handle which had a red skull on it.

Jason was beginning to panic himself. This surprised me as he was usually the bravest and most optimistic out of any of us (including ME to the surprise of no one). He spoke up in a frantic, hurried tone as he wanted to exit this room as soon as possible.

"Dude, is that a key?!? Which door is it for though?!?"

"I'm not sure...it has a red skull on the handle. I say we search for a door with a red skull on the front!"

"That could be any door here for all we know! How are we supposed to find it in time?"

Bobby bellowed out in protest at my suggestion, causing me to roll my eyes in annoyance. We didn't have time to stand around and debate things. The important thing to remember, besides the fact we were all still breathing, was that we'd in fact earned our first key. Now all we needed to do was find the door it was meant for. I quickly responded to Bobby's question with a somewhat furious tone to my voice.

"Have you any better ideas to suggest Bobby?!?"

Bobby looked at the ground for a second, before looking back up at me and shaking his head. That was that, then. Before I could think of where to run next, a loud yell rang through my ear drums as my heart skipped a beat in the process.

"**LOOK OUT!!!"**

A large mace was being swung at all our heads before I knew what I was even looking at. We all ducked it in the nick of time as I could still hear it swinging around, seemingly disappointed at the fact it completely missed it's latest victims. My right arm was firmly around the neck of my little brother as I pulled him down with me on impulse. I shoved him ahead of us to get him out of harm's way first. Bobby and Marcus soon followed him in total fear at what we just avoided. My left eye saw Tommy right next to me as we began to run as fast as our legs could carry us.

Before we could gain any real distance, a lone voice shrilly cried out in utter fear and panic.

"Uhh guys? **A LITTLE HELP HERE!!!**"

"Damn it! It's got Jason!!! Help me Tommy!"

My eyes widened at what I was now forced to witness. Jason was being held by his short brown hair as one of the large suits of knight armor was preparing to strike him with the mace we'd all just avoided. I cursed myself in pure anger for being stupid enough to forget about one of my closest friends. Without even thinking, I blindly charged at the sentient suit of armor in an attempt to break his grip on my friend's hair. Tommy flanked the suit by the front in an effort to draw it's attention.

Meanwhile, I was to the right trying my best to get Jason free. I pulled with all my might, and to my surprise I managed to pry Jason out of it's grip. The adrenaline I had coarsing through me at the moment no doubt had played a big part at what I was able to do, but right now I had to focus on getting us to where the others were. Jason looked almost shocked at the fact I turned around to save him, but responded to what I'd done for him in kind.

"Thanks man, you're the best!"

"You can thank him later! Now somebody HELP ME!!!"

Tommy was down on his back, with the suit of armor's left foot being used to hold him in place. As he prepared to take a swing at him with the mace in his right hand, I moved once again to save one of my friends from certain death. Jason tried to join me in saving our closest friend, but I couldn't run the risk of him getting caught again.

"Just run on ahead and find the others Jason! I'll save Tommy somehow."

"Stew, you can't fight off that thing by yourself! Also, I can't let you do this alone either! You helped ME out, and now it's time for me to return the favor!"

"You can do that by looking after Paul while I'm gone Jason. I can't trust Bobby or Marcus to do it, not like how I trust you guys. Just have some faith in me, alright?"

Jason looked sad at what I was telling him, but gave me a knowing look as he nodded his head. Before he ran off, I made sure to hand him the key we'd found earlier, which he accepted quickly before running off to meet up with the others.

I turned my back to see Tommy about to take a shot to the head with that mace. In a complete panic, my eyes frantically surveyed the area for something to use as a weapon. I grabbed a nearby chair that was sitting next to a large wooden desk. I lifted it off the ground as quickly as my arms would allow. I underestimated the chair's weight however, which made it rather clunky and hard to hold up for very long.

After lifting it off the ground, I caught a glimpse of the suit of knight armor swinging the mace at Tommy's vulnerable head. I swung the chair at the head of the mace with all the strength my arms could muster. I managed to deflect the blow of the mace, but not without tearing a hole within the chair's cushion as well. The suit of armor backed away from the force of the impact as both our weapons of choice made a surprisingly powerful collision. While it was still a threat, I at least got it to take it's foot off Tommy's chest. I quickly extended my left hand to pull Tommy back up to his feet, which he accepted without hesitation.

We both turned our backs and ran as far away as we could from the hostile suit of armor. I tried my best to remember where the others had run off too, deciding to use the rug we'd been running on to guide us. We both ran through the room into the next one I couldn't see so well from before. This room appeared to be the family dining room. It had little detail to speak of beyond a large, old fashioned, wooden dining table which roughly stretched from one end of the room to the other. There were several chairs neatly aligned with the table's length, as well as plates and basic eating utensils. Though most of it looked to be what many would consider ancient, I could tell it was all rather expensive, pushing me to be extra careful so as not to break anything.

Upon exiting the dining room, we found ourselves in another hall-way, which led us to finding another stair-case. We ran up it as quickly as we were able to, and upon reaching the top step I realized this hall-way was connected to the one I saw prior back in the foyer. I immediately looked in both directions to see a couple of doors with different colored images or symbols on them. The wall we were currently facing had 2 doors to offer.

The door left of us had a green cobra on it. It was coiled up in the center, while letting it's tounge flutter outside of it's mouth. The door to our right had a yellow scare-crow shown being hung. I then remembered that the key we found had a red skull on it, which prompted me to run to the left of the hall-way in search of a door with that same symbol. Tommy ran by my side to the right as we ran past large book-cases and portraits placed on the walls. Some of which looked like deceased members of the family, and others of creepy, desolate locations such as swamps or old battle-fields. These visual nightmares gave me further incentive to run ever faster as the search for a door with a red skull became all the more frantic.

We soon made a turn to the left as the hall-way began to connect it's self to the foyer more clearly. By some miracle, I could finally catch sight of Paul, Jason, Marcus, and Bobby standing next to a door with a red skull precisely identitcal to the image on the key. Jason was the first to notice us as he waved his left arm back and forth before calling out to us both.

"Guys, it's them!! Thank God you're both okay!"

This drew the attention of the others as Paul, Bobby, and Marcus all turned around to see what Jason had called out to. To the greatest surprise I'd experienced this night, Paul then ran up to me with his arms out in front of him. His gesture was not lost on me, and I extended my arms out to catch him in a hug. He threw himself into my chest as his arms wrapped around me tightly. I briefly ran the fingers on my right hand through his hair as I was beyond relieved to know he was still okay.

"You're alright...do you have any idea how _worried _I was about you?!?"

"Not half as worried as I've been about you, little brother."

We soon released as mushy family semantics would have to wait until _after _we were safe and sound. I returned to a full vertical base as I remembered we still haven't entered our first room together. I immediately focused my attention on Jason, keeping in mind he still had the key from before.

"You still have the key we found earlier, right Jason?"

He flashed me a knowing smile as he pulled it out of one of his costume's pockets.

"Of course I do man! I've hid it away ever since you gave it to me. I let the others think you still had it so they'd be forced to wait for you both!"

I smiled widely at that confession. I have to admit, Jason can be pretty sly when he wants to be. He quickly handed me the key to the door and I inserted it into the key-hole, which I noticed had the same red skull on it as the door itself did. With a swift twist, I unlocked the door as my friends and little bro joined me at the rear as we all ventured into the new room together. Paul was at my side as I tightly gripped his left hand with my right, fully determined to not let him out of my sight again.

The first thing I noticed was the room itself was pitch black. I couldn't see anything beyond the old, murky, tiles on the floor from the light of the hall-way as we entered. I wasn't comfortable with this as losing your sight in an unmarked location was never a positive thing. We had precisely zero idea what to expect, or what even the room itself looked like. Suffice to say, we're at a bigger disadvantage here than we were before, and THAT'S saying something!

I heard the door close behind us as the darkness now engulfed us at every turn. I stopped moving all together as I needed to form a plan with my friends if we were gonna make any head-way here.

"_Okaaaay...don't suppose anyone has a light here?"_

"_Don't panic guys. We need to find a way to see where we're going without our eyes. Everyone try to find a light switch or something."_

Paul's tightening grip on my hand let me know he was still close by. His fear of the dark must have been at an all time high, not that I could blame him in this state. I cautiously walked at a snail's pace as running into something blindly or setting something off didn't appeal to me at all. I couldn't hear anything in the room at the moment, further putting my nerves on edge as something could easily jump me or my friends at any moment.

I decided to check with my friends to see if they'd found anything by now.

"_You guys find anything yet?"_

_"Uhhh...kinda?"_

"_So is it like a torch, or-"_

_"Let's just say...if we're standing on anything, I'm not sure it can be called a "floor"._

I recognized the voice that answered as belonging to Jason, but it still did little to explain what he meant by that. Just as I was prepared to turn back, a bright, freshly burning flame suddenly glowed not too far from me. It looked like it was on the floor, which confused me as I couldn't see any torches being at this height. I used what little light it offered to discern the floor I was on, was in fact a rather narrow path-way. I began to back away as the source of light was becoming closer to me, Paul at my side as I did so.

I made sure to regroup with my friends before I got a better look at the mysterious glowing flame in front of me. Upon closer inspection, my mind began to race around in circles as I noticed the flame belonged to a candle. The weird part of it being the candle was being held up by a small, disembodied hand. I rubbed my eyes firmly at what I was seeing, not sure of what to make of it. The hand was holding up the candle with only it's thumb as it balanced itself with it's 4 fingers.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing! All I could figure was either these people had access to the most convincing special effects on the planet, or this was a sign that I've been knocked into a delusional coma all this time. Anything had to make more sense than a crawling, disembodied, hand on the floor holding a candle right now!

I just stared at it with a blank look on my face. I wasn't sure whether to talk to it, or simply wave at it. I mean it's a hand, what would anybody else do?!?

"_Complete shot in the dark, but I think it wants us to follow it."_

The others looked just as speechless as I was, but made no objections as they huddled close to my rear. Paul came up to my right as he gripped my right hand tightly. I returned the sentiment with a firm grip of my own as we cautiously began to follow the crawling appendage with the only source of light available. The glowing illumination from the candle began to highlight certain details of the room itself. I began to notice the walls a fair distance from where we were at the moment, were comprised of old, molding bricks and decay. The smell of said mold and dampness were beginning to take their toll on my senses as my head started to spin about. I tried my best to snap out of my brief stupor as I led the group along with the hand and it's flame.

The path-way we were on was constantly swerving left and right. This added to my increasing discomfort as it felt like one wrong step could send me plummeting to my death. I looked to my right in an effort to get my mind off of my growing anxiety, which only caused it to go into over-drive at what I saw next.

I began to notice there was a hall-way with a couple of lit torches on the wall to the rear of it. Of course, it wasn't the new found source of light that sent me into a near panic attack. It was what caused the torches to be lit up in the first place that sent a ghastly shiver down my spine. Wednesday and Pugsley were both holding matching cross-bows as they pointed them towards where we were all walking. I began to let out a cold sweat as I could feel my "fight or flight" response begin to kick in.

"Everybody run!! We're not alone here!"

I instinctively lifted Paul up and put him at my left, that way he wouldn't be in their line of sight. The hand carrying the candle began to scurry ever faster as we all began to pick up the pace to match his speed. The path-way's constant turning was beginning to make me feel woozy in addition to the smell of mold and rot constantly invading my nostrils at every turn. My heart sank when I realized one of their arrows had landed next to my right foot. I pushed onward with the rest of the gang by my back as we ran as quickly as our undeveloped, pre-adolescent legs could carry us. The 2 delinquent siblings shots were becomming increasingly more accurate as each one was deliberate in it's precision.

At long last, we'd _finally_ reached the end of the path-way. The hand now used the candle it'd been carrying this whole time to light a large torch ontop of the wall we were next to. The torch's almost blinding light illuminated the entire room we just traveled through. It turns out the entire room was some kind of cavern. I noticed green mold across several of the walls of old, moist, bricks that made up much of the room's structure. The most jarring thing by far however was the fact we could have easily fallen to our deaths at any moment! The room's path-way was overlooking a large, black, chasm of nothingness right beside it, with a bottom far too large for me to make out at this distance.

Everyone let out a large gulp as the realization we could have easily tripped, or got shot and sent plummeting was too terrifying to put into words.

We followed the hall-way down as the hand stood to the side, allowing us to pass through. I gave it a friendly salute as if it wasn't for it's guidance, we never would have stood a chance in this room. I noticed there was a key dangling by what looked to be a string at the center of the ceiling above us. I grabbed it while taking in the fact the handle resembled the green cobra from the door me and Tommy past by from before. I snatched it from it's place as me and my friends continued onward to the door.

I opened the door as my friends and Paul joined close behind me as we braved whatever new dangers that lied just beyond it.


	7. The Ultimate Horror Show

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing pertaining to the Addams family, beyond this personalized work of fiction. Thank you. :)**

As soon as we exited the room, we found ourselves back out into a hall-way which led us back to the circular hall-way with the other doors. I remembered we found a green key just before leaving that last room, which caused my mind to flash back to the door with the green cobra on it. I led the group at my back as we all dashed for the green cobra door before the night got any later. These nutcases were nice enough to provide 2 ways of winning this challenge, either through somehow lasting a full 3 hours, or finding the prize before anyone else did. Though it would obviously take time (which never seemed to be on our side), finding the prize would ultimately be the least dangerous method of winning the game. I know I can't just keep out-running everything in sight, and it's absurd to think luck will continue to bail us out. All the same, we had to keep moving if we're to have any chance of winning at all.

Then, there were the issues of Pugsley and Wednesday to consider. The both of them seemed fairly blood-lusted as they attempted to shoot us repeatedly, and a couple of those arrows nearly made me go down the cavern the HARD way. I had no idea what I was even meant to do to combat their threat, but the best strategy seemed to be staying ahead of wherever they were. It was by far the only thing that made any sense to me tonight.

My sandals skid on the floor as I sharply turned to the left as my memory was working overdrive. Paul did his best to keep pace with me, but was beginning to falter as my longer legs out-did his best efforts. I knew my kid bro better than anyone. He could make a hell of a sprinter, but his short legs and lack of stamina caused him to fall back before anyone else. I held back my pace in an effort to snag his left hand with my right. He grabbed it back firmly as I pulled him back at my side. We proceeded down the circular hall-way, passing by dusty old bookcases, small desks and chairs, and a few creepy portraits as I could begin to see the door with the green cobra in sight.

As we neared it however, I realized a fight was breaking out amongst some of the other kids next to the two doors. There were 6 kids in all, which made me nervous as they matched our own group in number, and more to the point, we now were carrying a key. One kid was dressed like El Zorro, another dressed like Cupid, and the last one of the first trio was dressed like one of those old druid guys from the middle ages.

For the other 3, there was a boy about Bobby's size dressed up like an old-school viking, complete with a large brown beard and toy axe. The 2nd kid was dressed like an astronaut, complete with a glass bowl for a helmet and a hazmat suit. Finally, the last kid was dressed up like a mad scientist from a 50s horror flick. I couldn't quite tell if they were a group having a spat, or 2 separate groups in a fight over another key. One way or the other, it was in all our best interests to slip past them, and open that door to the next room.

As fate would have it though, life decided to hate me today.

We almost collectively slid to a crash as we took in the scene in front of us. The others were all just as surprised as I was, but their responses on what to do largely differed as it usually did with each of us together.

"Something tells me these kids aren't the welcoming committee."

"It's probably best if we just slip past them. We don't want to tip them off to the fact we have keys too.

"Geez, could you guys _be _any lamer? Am I the only one who gets what this game's about? It's called "survival of the fittest" you chodes! If we take all these wusses by surprise, we'll be walking away with even more keys than before!"

"Whatever you guys think is best. Let's do it!"

Sadly for me, this new group chose to decide for us. They all stopped mixing it up with each other in order to focus their full attention on all of us. Just as I counted from before, there were 6 of them in total as they stood lined up neatly in front of us all. The first 3 were about my size, though the Cupid kid was a little shorter than the rest. I assumed he must have been the youngest of the 6. The other 3 seemed to make a more dangerous threat considering the size of that viking kid, but the other 2 weren't all that scary to me, at least for the moment. I gently put Paul to the rear of us in case a fight broke out.

Suddenly, the kid dressed up like El Zorro addressed us all staring at them.

"You guys got a staring problem or something? Don't tell me you were going to jump us and take our keys while we were fighting?"

Calmly as I could, I attempted to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand. Bobby's first instinct might be to punch anything until it stops moving, but mine sure isn't!

"Listen guys, no one wants any trouble here, okay? We just happened to bump into you all while you were scrapping. If you just let us on our way, nobody has to get hurt here!"

Suddenly, I could feel Bobby muscling his way to the front of the group. I could start to feel another anxiety attack coming on as he soon stood by my side and addressed the rival group on his own terms.

"You're damn right that's what we want! Like my friend over here was saying, just hand over those keys nice and smooth-like, and no one gets hurt!"

"That's uhhh...not what I said at all dude."

Bobby just nudged me in the left arm with his right shoulder. Was he really trying to be cool here? It figures it had to come at everyone else's expense, but then again who am I to question the unspoken genius that was Bobby?

The rival group didn't take kindly to this threat, and reacted to it about as well as you might expect.

"Fatty's got a mouth on him! Who wants to get first crack?!?"

The viking kid cracked his knuckles at that statement from the Cupid kid. Bobby seemed a bit nervous having to tangle with someone his own size, but decided to focus on the Cupid kid first.

"Heh, just try it Pixie boy!"

The Cupid kid looked furious at that statement. He began to blush like he had a fever as he stomped on the ground like Paul throwing one of his infamous tantrums. He then angrily pointed his right index finger straight at Bobby before making his retort.

"HEY!! My mom made me this costume!"

I had to use all my force of will to not pull a Paul and rip that kid's costume to shreds. Bobby was kind enough to do it for me anyway.

"Did she now? Well, at least you've earned someone's pity."

The Cupid kid began to lunge himself at Bobby in a rage fueled frenzy. This caused the viking kid to physically restrain him with his right hand, holding him in place by his own costume. He then spoke to him with a firm tone that made it too clear he meant business.

"You leave him to _me_. You take on the kid that looks like Mulan over there!"

_Oh-hoh-hoh-hoh-hoh-hoooooh...**noooo he didn't!!!**_

Though I'd like nothing more than to shove that cheap piece of carpet down that kid's throat, I know I have to be smart about this! He's roughly the same size as Bobby, if not perhaps just a teensy bit larger. If we're to win this fight and move onto the next room, I have to pick my targets wisely here. The other kids were all about my size and shouldn't pose too much of a threat, especially with Jason, Tommy, and Marcus all chipping in. The problem is without Paul's help, the group still outnumbered us by at least 1 member. I can't in good conscience just put him in harm's way though! What kind of brother would that make me?!?

The others joined to fight with us as Jason, Tommy, and Marcus all pulled up to my right. They didn't look especially excited at the prospect of fighting these kids, and I can't say I didn't share that sentiment myself. Of course, thanks to Bobby now, we no longer had a choice in the matter.

Suddenly, the Cupid kid charges in my direction which prompts both of our groups to start fighting. I had little time to prepare for his advance, but if I'm being honest, there wasn't much to fear here. Like I mentioned before, I'm not a natural fighter in any sense of the word, but this kid looked as though he weighed even less than Paul. The fact he was a couple inches shorter than me wasn't helping his chances at all either. I just stood my ground and prepared to throw the first punch to answer his approach.

I threw a short jab with my right arm at his face as he got within striking range. He sees it coming however, and backs away before it can connect, rolling on the ground to gain some distance. He quickly gets back to his feet and tries to tackle my legs. His enthusiasm wasn't enough to overcome the size difference between us however. I grab him by both his shoulders and tossed him to the ground. While he was down, I checked to see how my friends were doing against the other kids.

Bobby was locked in a test of strength against the viking kid, with neither able to gain the upper hand on each other. Jason and Tommy took on the El Zorro kid, as well as the druid kid. They always worked together beautifully, and their team-work was beginning to overwhelm both of those kids. They switched between fighting them to mix up their strategies, and baited their foes into hitting each other a few times. Sadly, there was one member of the team that wasn't quite enjoying himself right now.

Marcus was getting ganged up on by the astronaut kid, as well as the mad scientist kid. I should have figured the numbers game would have come into play sooner or later, but regardless I had a friend to save before he got hurt!

No offense to Cupid, but I can't afford to waste any more time on him. I ran my way over to Marcus to back him up before they roughed him up any worse. The mad scientist kid was throwing hard punches to his gut while the astronaut held him by both of his arms, locking him in a full-nelson type hold. I threw a sharp left punch at the mad scientist kid causing him to grasp the back of his head in pain. Marcus soon gave the kid holding him by the arms a stiff headbutt, forcing him to break the hold he had on him. I placed my right hand on Marcus's left shoulder as he staggered a bit before getting back to his feet. He managed a slight smile before asking me what happened to the Cupid kid I was fighting.

"Thought you had kid Cupid? What happened to him?"

"I managed to subdue him. It was easier than I was expecting really. I noticed you were getting pasted by those 2 chumps, so I ran over to lend a hand. What else are friends for right?"

Marcus adjusted his glasses and let out a small cough while holding his stomach, before thanking me for my assistance.

"...Y'know, the others might not admit it, but you're a great friend Stewart."

I blushed slightly at this statement, not really used to being complimented much, but it's still great to hear every once in a while. I patted Marcus on the back with my right hand before telling him of a new plan I had to speed things along here.

"Thanks man. Now listen, we're wasting time fighting these guys! All we need to do is find the one with the key, and then we can ditch these losers by going into the next room! As long as they don't have a green key of their own, they shouldn't be able to follow us inside!"

Marcus nodded his head in agreement at this, before turning his attention to the kid who was wailing on him not but a moment ago. I held him down by his arms while Marcus threw a hard slug right to his gut, causing him to double over in pain. We then proceeded to check his costume for a key, while sadly ending up with nothing.

I took notice of the Cupid kid getting back to his feet. He soon charged at me with full speed as he looked ready to tear me apart with his bare hands. Just as before, I held my ground and prepared to deal with his approach again...when something..._unexpected_ happened.

A large piece of debris or rock fell squarely on the Cupid kid's head. This caused him to sway left and right in a dazed stupor, before promptly falling to the floor unconscious. I immediately looked upward to see where whatever it was that fell on him had come from. Much to both my shock and horror, Wednesday and Pugsley were looming over us omniously on what looked to be the 3rd floor. Wednesday was her usual, emotionless, self, whereas Pugsley held a slight grin on his face. He was probably aiming for my head knowing him, but regardless I noticed that they were both carrying brown sacks of some kind. After some inspection on what had fell on his head, I recognized it as black coal. It wasn't lit thankfully, but all the same from that height, the coal could easily knock anyone of us out if it fell directly on our heads.

In a panic, I shouted at the top of my lungs to warn everyone that we weren't alone once again.

"GUYS!!! It's Wednesday and Pugsley again! RUN FOR IT!!!"

Before making my move, I managed a quick frisk of the Cupid kid's costume. I found a blue key hidden in his right pocket, which I quickly snatched up for the rest of the team. I briefly looked over the bump on his head as well, a small wave of relief came over me as I realized it was nothing he shouldn't bounce back from. Even though we'd been enemies here, I can't say I really have anything against him. It was more or less one of those "wrong time, wrong place" sort of things.

Bobby soon broke his head-lock on the viking kid as he ran out of the way of a piece of coal falling on his head. The viking kid chased after him in aggravation, only to be pelted squarely on the noggin by a large piece of coal. The horn helmet he wore absorbed some of the impact, but it nonetheless slowed him down enough for Bobby to break away. Paul bolted his way toward the door when he saw me standing next to it. Jason, Tommy, and Marcus soon joined me at the door with the green cobra on it as the lumps of coal forced them away from the other kids as well.

I desperately scrambled to slip the key I held onto from the last room into the keyhole. I could hear Wednesday and Pugsley ruffling their bags to check if any coal was left, further putting my panic fueled nerves into overdrive. Finally, I managed to twist the key to the next room, granting us sanctuary from our adversaries on the other side.

As soon as we were all safe inside, I briefly took a look at the gang who'd just been in a fight. I knew I was fine overall, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to see how the others were holding up.

"Is everyone accounted for? How you guys doing?"

The group all nodded their heads at my question, though I could see Marcus still favoring his stomach a bit. A surge of guilt began to flow through me at the fact I couldn't have helped him sooner, but at least he was still here with all of us.

Suddenly, I could feel Paul squeeze down tightly on my hand as he tried to draw my attention. Surprised, I leant down with my right ear so he could hear me. He then whispered in a dire tone something I can't entirely say I blamed him for.

"_All in favor of knocking Bobby **the hell OUT?!?**_"

I held back a chuckle as Paul's feelings weren't completely lost on me. It was thanks to Bobby's big mouth that we all got into that fight in the first place, but even so we need all the help we could get in this scenario. The group can't afford to take a loss like that, and the very LAST thing we need is to start fighting amongst ourselves. I replied to Paul's request as responsibly as I could manage given the situation.

"_Tempting, but I'm afraid that won't be possible Paul. We all need to pitch in if we're gonna get through this._"

Paul frowned at this with a dead-pan glare. It wasn't my intention to let him down of course, but I had to be the sensible one here.

"_Do you always have to be a boy-scout with everything?_"

"_I'm the older brother Paul. It's kind of in the job description for me to be the reasonable one._"

I pulled my head back up to get a better look at the room itself, and what I'd seen upon doing so was..._odd_, to say the least.

The room was a bit smaller than the foyer, but still decently sized, it was also much better lit than the first room. The floor itself was a gray concrete with small plastic covering it. The ceiling also was covered with a protective plastic, with some dirt and soil ocassionally slipping through the protective covering. The ceiling also had what looked like a sprinkler system installed.

The room's most prominent feature had to be it's large assortment of bizarre and most likely exotic plants strewn around it. There was everything from carnivorous plants, bushes with dark leaves and sharp thorns at the bottom, tulips with black petals that seemed to hold eyeballs in their centers. If there's such a thing as a garden from hell, it was hard to argue anything else could look more convincing.

"I take it this room must be their green-house. You still have that green key on you Stewart?"

I ran a quick check over my costume to see where I last had it. I pulled it out of the right side of my Gi to show the group I still had it on me. They all smiled in relief as now we no longer had to worry about that group following us. That of course doesn't explain what new dangers we'd have to face with this new room.

Just then, I could hear some kind of microphone or loud speaker screech with distortion and feedback. A loud, booming, voice that seemed far too jolly for what we were about to go through spoke up. The voice echoed throughout the room which caught all of our attentions at once.

"_Greetings, dear guests!! If you are hearing this message, that could only mean you have wandered into my wife's garden__ room! While you are all no doubt enjoying the sights, and the various specimens she's collected over many years, I must inform you all of your objective while in this room._

_For starters, at the very end of this room, there lies a most prized species of carnivorous plant found only in Africa. It is called an "African Strangler", and hers is affectionately named Cleopatra. This plant must be fed at least 3 times a day, if not more, and currently it happens to be her supper time!_

_To the far left of this room, you will find a plate of mutton chops. These are said to be Cleopatra's very favorite sort of meat, and you must bring this plate of mutton chops to her so that she may feed. Move with haste and caution however, for the other plants surrounding you may try to steal the chops before you reach her. I'm afraid I must admit, manners aren't a strong point of theirs. They will attempt to eat you as well, should you falter in your quest to reach Cleopatra._

_I wish all participating the very best of fortune! If the collective appetites of her plants are anything to go by, you may in fact need every ounce of it! Good luck...and for some of you...farewell!!!"_

Well...at least now I know what to do here.

My friends and Paul all looked rather pensive at what we'd just been told, but I was at least happy to have a good enough clue on how to get through this place. Jason was the first of the group to speak up regarding the best course of action from here on out.

"So uhhh...anyone got a good plan here?"

"Well, we know the basics. We've got to find that plate of mutton chops, and reach this Cleopatra plant before the other plants steal them from us."

After I went over what we'd already knew, Bobby decided to pitch in the discussion with what he related to.

"This kinda reminds me of a football game! We have one member take the ball down the enemy's field. Only instead of quarterbacks and line-backers, we've got dangerous, flesh eating, plants to get by. One of us has got to take that plate of mutton or whatever to this plant thing, while the rest of us stop the other plants from reaching him."

If I actually had anything to drink here, I might be doing a spit-take! Even though I'm not what one would call a big football guy, Bobby's little analogy is making alot of sense to me! The only thing that went undecided as of right now, would be whom among us would be the one to carry the plate of mutton chops to Cleopatra.

"Alright guys, I'll go and collect that plate myself. In the mean time, try not to touch anything, okay?"

Jason and Tommy seemed a bit concerned, whereas Bobby and Marcus just shrugged at the decision. Tommy quickly asked me if going alone was really the best idea.

"Are you sure Stew? Me and Jason could go with you if you need some back-up."

"That's real nice of you Tommy, but I'm pretty sure I'll be okay as long as I hurry. I need someone to look after Paul while I'm gone though...think you can handle him?"

Jason and Tommy both shared a look, before looking back at me with confident grins on their faces. A single nod of both their heads gave me all the reassurance needed to believe they'd take good care of Paul while I was fetching the plate. Paul's grip on my hand tightened once more as he didn't seem at all happy with my decision to go it alone. It was a hard call to make, but at least if I went alone I'd be putting myself at risk, and not the rest of the group, and most importantly not my little brother as well. This of course didn't stop Paul from raging at my choice to play "hero" again though.

"Are you crazy?!? We have no idea what to expect from this room! You could be walking head long into a trap for all we know! Can't you at least take ME with you?"

"Yeah, big no-no there Paul. As much as I appreciate your enthusiasm, I'm alot more vulnerable when I have to look out for you. It diverts my attention, and it also gives the bad guys something to exploit. Know what I mean?"

Paul looked incensed at this, clearly showing he wasn't fully convinced by what I'd told him. He then began to frown a bit, before lunging at me for a hug. I returned his embrace in kind as I wasn't trying to sadden him by making this decision. It was all an effort to keep him safe on my part.

"Just promise me you'll be careful, alright big bro?"

"I'll be more than careful Paul. I'll be right back before you know it!"

I gave him the best positive smile I could muster to try to ease his nerves a bit. It's not to my liking having to fib to my own brother like this, but I can't afford to worry him at a time like this. I won't lie, his concern for me was pretty flattering, especially since it wasn't often this side of him was present. That said, I can't afford to put him at risk when I don't even know what to expect myself.

I gave the group a friendly nod before going on my way to find the plate of mutton chops. I proceeded onward to the left as I quickly past by several more exotic plant specimens along the way. Some resembled venus fly-traps, others reminded me of willow trees or pine bushes. The main difference to the latter was the pine bushes in question contained sharpened needles as opposed to real pines. They also seemed to be leaking some odd kind of substance that smelled pretty rank if I'm being honest. Not that I needed any further initiative, but the foul odor and threatening look of these plants spurred me on even faster than before.

I briefly looked up as I made my way through this unsettling garden. The first thing I could see was a walk-way that stretched nearly to the ceiling in height. I started to wonder where it may lead to, when suddenly I remembered Wednesday and Pugsley were supposed to be stalking us throughout the night. I cursed myself silently at how stupid I could be! It was obvious this walk-way gave them a method of sneaking throughout the room without tipping off participants to their location!

I had no idea what they could have in store for us _this _time, but I had precisely zero intention of finding out! I began to run my way through the endless display of morbid plant exhibits before I could finally make out the plate of mutton chops in the distance. It was neatly bagged up with plastic wrap, and sitting comfortably against a wall right next to 2 plants that reminded me of those piranha plants in Mario games. They both had large, green, heads with 2 large petals that looked sharpened around the edges, and small maws lined up with long, sharp teeth that looked as though a single bite could easily rip off a limb. I just bolted to the dish dead-center of them and grabbed it off it's pedestal before scurrying back to my group whom was still waiting for me.

As I raced my way back to my friends and little bro, I could start to hear the plants let out low, menacing, growls that sent an ice cold chill down my spine. With my fear and anxiety reaching their respective peaks, I looked up at the walk-way from before once again. To my absolute horror I could see both Wednesday and Pugsley glaring down at me from above. They began to pick up their own paces as they saw me run ever faster to the only means of sanctuary I had by this point. I had no idea why they wouldn't just go on the offensive considering I was away from everyone else, but my current situation gave me no time to think about it further.

I finally returned to the group just as I promised Paul I would. Before stopping to catch my breath, I gave Jason the plate of mutton chops as I wheezed and gasped from all the running I did to get back. Jason soon questioned me on what I saw since I went to retrieve Cleopatra's dinner.

"You got the dish! Great work Stew! What did you see while you were out there looking?"

As soon as I could speak again, I went into full detail regarding the most important thing I found while searching: the fact that we were no longer alone once again.

"Besides more creepy plants, the most concerning thing I can report is that there's a walk-way above us. It reaches almost to the ceiling, but on that walk-way I saw Wednesday and Pugsley. They're both rushing toward something, for what I have zero idea."

The group all grimaced collectively at hearing that confession. I could tell hearing this was going to send them all into a panic, prompting me to get things under control before we all lost sight of the task at hand.

"Let's not lose our heads here guys. We still have to get this dish down to that plant while avoiding the other plants along the way. I'd do it myself, but I'm a bit worn out from the trip. Any volunteers?"

The guys looked at each other and began to banter a bit before looking right back at me. In my head, I knew there was maybe 2 of us at best that'd be able to do this. Bobby was a big, strong, kid for sure, but his lacking mobility left me unconvinced he could get this plate to Cleopatra before another plant stopped him. Marcus was still pretty thrashed from what happened outside in the hall, so he was definitely out. Paul could sprint like a cheetah when properly motivated, but there's no way in HELL I'm letting him take such a big risk like that! That just leaves me, Jason, and of course Tommy. My lungs feel like they're turning to dust at the moment, so suffice it to say Jason or Tommy were our best (and only) bets here.

"I guess I'll do it then. You all have my back on this right?"

Jason finally agreed to be our star player for this room, although his question understandably showed he wasn't entirely convinced we'd be looking out for him. Of course when I say that, I mean Bobby and Marcus specifically rather than me, Tommy, or even Paul for that matter. Nonetheless, we aren't gonna get through this room by questioning each other's true intentions. I placed my right hand on Jason's back as I tried to comfort him into believing he wouldn't be alone here.

"Of course we do man! You are among friends here after all. Right guys?"

The group all nodded and gave a thumbs up to my statement, causing Jason to beam with newfound confidence in his abilities. The one exception to the rule was surprisingly Paul himself. He looked directly at me in the eyes with a betrayed expression on his face as he started to rant on about me treating him like a baby.

"Are you serious?!? We both know I'm the best sprinter among everyone here!! All I need is some backup and I can get us out of this room and into the next one in no time flat!"

I stopped myself from face-palming to address Paul's statement as maturely as I could. It really did hurt my feelings for him to think me trying to protect him from certain danger was somehow treating him like a toddler. He can whine about it as much as he wants, I've already put us both in enough danger by agreeing to come here tonight. I'm NOT about to offer my only sibling up as plant chow by having him run ahead with a plate of mutton!

"I don't care if you're The Flash Paul! I'm not letting you carry a plate of meat when every corner of this green-house from hell is crawling with flesh starved plants! If you really wanna help so badly, you can help the rest of us keep Jason safe while he delivers the meat to Cleopatra."

Paul curled both his hands up into fists as he began to bite down on his lower lip. His face was beginning to show tinges of red as he let out a low, angry, growl which usually signified when a temper tantrum was coming up. A bubbling mixture of fear and dread began to take effect in my stomach as Paul's tantrums were never a pleasant part of any day, and one happening right now would be just about the worst thing that could happen at the moment.

However, to my surprise, Paul put up no further resistance as he walked his way to my side once again. I was left speechless at this, but decided not to focus on it as we all had bigger problems to worry about right now.

Jason still held the plate of mutton in both his hands as he stared out into the seemingly endless sea of exotic, nightmarish plants. He slowly walked onward as we joined behind him, passing several species of plants by as we did so. I could hear them all letting out low pitched, blood curdling, growls of pure hunger as each stood at least a foot higher than all of us.

The sound of liquid dripping, not unlike a leaky faucet in need of repair was interlapped with the otherworldly howls of hunger and malice that seemed to be growing even louder with every passing second. The dripping noise was also followed by a weird sort of fizzing sound that reminded me of acid dissolving whatever material it made contact with. It should go without saying by now the plants themselves were already disturbing enough between their grotesque appearances and haunting noises. I REALLY didn't need to know just being licked by one was enough to disintegrate my skin like paper catching on fire!

Along the way, we managed to find a couple of spray cans, possibly containing some kind of repellant. They were positioned on a black marbel tablet of some kind a slight distance away from the plants themselves, with a plaque at the bottom-right to where the cans were neatly placed next to each other. There were exactly 5 cans in all, which told me they were meant for everyone else not carrying the plate.

The group started to take a can for themselves one by one, including myself who studied the front of the can carefully. It had little detail to it besides a small gray paper with a large skull and cross bones that usually symbolized some kind of danger or poison. I checked the back of the can to see what it was made of, but to no avail. Before we all continued onward, I decided to read the plaque to see if it had any instructions on what the cans were meant to be used for. It had read in bright gold letters the following instructions.

"_Use only in cases of aggression. Aim well at the hostile plant, and avoid contact with your own eyes or mouth at all costs."_

I hadn't much time to wonder as to how we were going to defend ourselves against these plants. With these cans in tow however, at least now we had something resembling a means of self-defense. It wasn't much, but I can definitely say something was better than nothing. Jason was the first to acknowledge we were all grabbing the cans off the tablet, and not him.

"What are those cans for? Can I have one too?"

"Sorry dude, there was only 5 of them to go around. Besides, you're already carrying the plate of mutton anyway. With these at our disposal, we should get through this place no sweat!"

Jason looked disappointed at not getting a can of his own, but made no further comment on it as he turned his attention back to walking. The others all tightly gripped their cans in careful positions as we grouped together. We all surveyed our surroundings patiently as we kept on the lookout for signs of aggression with the inumerous plants that cornered our every turn.

Suddenly, one large plant with a bell-shaped head from the right began to stretch out it's neck to inspect the plate Jason had been carrying. I'm no expert on plant life (or on much of anything to be blunt), but I'm fairly positive plants can't just move on their own like that. I also know they aren't expected to sniff things like how a dog or cat would something that could potentially be food or some play-thing. In spite of this, there the botanical monstrosity was, sniffing away at the contents of the plate Jason was bravely carrying in front of us all. It continued to sniff the plate for a full minute before letting loose an awful screech, like some kind of signal it was giving to it's fellow, pot dwelling, brethren.

A massive burst of panic and dread nearly overcame my resolve as almost every plant was beginning to move from that point onward. I could hear each one growling and shaking their thorny bodies like they'd just been awoken from a deep slumber. I noticed the plants to the side of us were all beginning to close off the path-way we were walking. This caused me to shout in desperation to keep us from getting boxed in by the hungry plants closing in.

"They're trying to trap us!!! EVERYONE RUN!!!"

The entire group sprinted forward before the plants that surrounded us could effectively trap us in. Jason high-tailed it first with all the speed he could muster, with the rest of us not too far behind him. I blindly sprayed at every plant lowering it's drooling maw, branches, leaves, or roots at me in a blind, frenzied, panic. I pushed Paul out of the path-way of the unrelenting greenery before myself. He used his spray can to keep the plants that nearly barred our exit at bay, stunning them temporarily so we could move onward. Tommy, Marcus, and Bobby were practically on my neck as their steps thundered upon the concrete floor we were all collectively stampeding on.

We all noticed Jason running on ahead, still firmly grasping the plate of food in both his hands as he ran toward a field of bushes. These bushes had leaves that ranged from a dark shade of purple, to a rather dull burst of grey. They shook violently as they sensed his hurried approach, unleashing long, gangly, light-brown, roots to ensnare and pull him into whatever these freaks had that constituted mouths.

I screamed in pure terror at the thought of one of my best friends being caught and devoured. A powerful sensation of guilt began to nag it's way into my unhinged nerves as I realized my own lack of breath is the reason why Jason was in this position to begin with. If I'd just sucked it up and went with carrying the plate as I planned to do anyway, it'd be ME who'd be getting ripped apart and digested, and NOT one of my closest friends!

"JASON, COME BACK!! IT'S A TRAP!!!"

Jason was too far ahead for him to even hear me, much less react in time. In mere seconds, a swarm of tentacle like roots firmly caught him, wrapping up his average sized frame and trying to pry the plate of meat from his hands. The rest of the group all caught up with me as they stood at my rear. Paul seemed ready to join my attempt at rescuing him, but I quickly forced him into Tommy's arms as I ran by myself to save one of the only three people I could trust tonight.

I practically launched myself toward where Jason was. I firmly gripped the spray can in my right hand as I prepared to blast anything holding him in place. I managed to catch him just as the roots in question were pulling him onto the ground. They turned him around so he could face me directly. My heart sank with disgust as I saw the roots had ensnared his arms and wrapped themselves around his legs. They also wrapped themselves around his neck and I could see even see one in his mouth, essentially gagging him. Even with the condition he was in, he still never dropped the plate of mutton, keeping it safe for us all even at the risk of his own life.

The look of inexplainable fear in his eyes petrified me more than anything I'd experienced these past weeks. The fear that had consumed me was being overrun by a now terrible, blood boiling, rage as I saw one of my best friends about to be dragged underground by some repulsive crowd of weeds. I furiously sprayed at every last root threatening to smother Jason alive. The plants recoiled frantically, seemingly stunned by my barrage of spray can blasts. They finally released Jason after a minute or so. I let out a sigh of relief as I'd come just in time to keep the promise I made to myself before coming to this horrible place tonight.

"Are you alright man?!"

"_T-...T-..._Thanks Stew."

Jason was literally shivering with fear at what he'd just went through. I felt even more remorse at putting this stupid plate in his hands to begin with, but realized beating myself up over it would accomplish nothing here. I tried my best to lift him back to his feet as we both retreated back to where we last left the group. He stumbled and limped with every single step, and I could hear him stuttering out some indiscernible gibberish as I led him back to the safety of our friends.

Once we'd made it back, Jason was able to move on his own again. He was still pretty badly distressed, but calmly walked his way over to Tommy, whom still had Paul in his grasp. Though Tommy and Paul looked happy to see us both in one piece, Bobby and Marcus looked as though they were both about to faint. Bobby soon asked a question with all the fear and nervousness I'd come to expect from us by now.

"Where the hell even IS this damn thing?!?"

"Yeah, just to answer Jason's question from before...none of us had a good plan going in here!"

Bobby and Marcus brought up fine points, but I had to keep some form of direction. I didn't bust Jason out from the brink of death just to become a banquet to the garden of Satan here! If there was even _one _thing we could all agree on, it's that we all had to keep moving! I spat out the best course of action I could given the limited time we had before the door shut itself on us.

"I don't know where Cleopatra is exactly, but we've all gotta stay on the move guys! We don't have much time until the door shuts for good! Let's just look down every path-way we can until we find it! It has to be different in some way to the other plants, look for a detail that stands out or something!"

Bearing in mind what Jason had put himself through for the good of the group, I snatched away the plate of mutton chops from his moist, trembling hands. I tossed him my can of plant repellant so he could defend himself in the event something else tried to mess with him. I motioned to the rest of the group to follow me as I led the pack to the left this time.

The savage plants harassed us at every turn. One had leaves like a Ficus plant, only longer and shaped like daggers at the end. Another almost resembled a large mushroom, and from the center of it's cap emitted a stomach churning odor that was taking it's toll on my consciousness. There was another plant that resembled a large oak tree, only with branches that swung loosely from side to side. Those branches attempted to take a shot at my head a few times by now, which nearly made me drop the plate I was being counted on to carry.

As we passed by path-way after path-way, I started to fear the inevitable conclusion that we'd never find this thing. If our situation wasn't so dangerous at the moment, I'd of probably suggested splitting up by now. No matter how much time that tactic would save us, the fact was we were pressured in a big way right now.

At long last, I looked down one last path-way to find a strange looking vine of some kind. It hadn't looked like anything I'd seen before, but to it's front end resembled something akin to a lotus flower. Not that I know much about plants to begin with, but with limited time to work with here, I have to trust my gut on this one! I sprinted toward the odd, vine-like, plant as my friends swiftly followed behind me, blasting everything that stood in their way.

My left eye caught wind of Paul pulling up to my left as I bolted on ahead. He looked at me with a determined stare that reassured me he had my back on this. Before either of us said anything to each other, I returned his stare with a kind smirk that was meant to convey I understood what he was trying to say. I turned my attention straight ahead as I still had to focus on running to reach Cleopatra.

I was about half-way to the plant when I could feel something grab hold of my left ankle. I was so caught up with reaching the plant that I didn't think to watch my footing. I basically flew off the ground I was running on, the plate still firmly clutched in my hands as I did so. I managed to shift my body to the right while I was falling, to keep the plate from smashing on the ground. I landed hard on my side as a result of keeping the plate safe.

Paul saw me crash and burn with his own 2 eyes. He went down to examine my condition as I let out a short groan of pain as I could feel the right side of body aching a bit. I could feel one of his hands on my back as he tried to comfort me to for what I'd done for the team. I didn't notice at first, still favoring the right side of my body, but he quickly grabbed the plate of food I'd been carrying up until this point. He looked down at me with a cocky sneer as he held the plate of mutton in both of his hands. He placed his spray can to my right hand as I gasped in horror at what he was planning to do.

"Maybe after this, you'll stop acting like we're still in diapers!"

Paul zoomed off after this statement, practically leaving behind a cloud of dust and dirt in his wake. My right side still ached a bit, but I scraped together what little energy I could to scream out to Paul for his reckless decision. Of literally ALL the worst times to go and play the rebel, he had to pick NOW?!?

"**PAUL!!!** **NO****!!!**"

I willed myself back to my feet with pure adrenaline. I grasped the spray can in my right hand as I ran with speed that even rivaled the way I ran from that first nightmare I had. I didn't even bother to pay attention to the rampaging plant life that surrounded both my left and right. I just sprinted toward where my little brother had run off to. My protective older brother instincts were going haywire as I did so. Try as I might, Paul was already at the plant we were supposed to be feeding before any of us. I knew from experience just how fast he could sprint, but this was ridiculous!

It took me about 5 minutes to reach Paul where he was when I saw the plant itself. It seemed to be just one long vine with an odd lotus like flower on the front end, though it also had a smaller vine connected to it by the right. It was isolated from the other plants on a stand with a few steps, a beam of light poured down from the ceiling so as to symbolize it's status from the other plants. As expected, Paul was struggling with feeding it as he clearly didn't know which end was even it's mouth (not that I could blame him). He took the chops off the plate and tried his best to offer the plant the food, but Cleopatra backed away somewhat timidly at his hesitation.

I snuck behind where he was standing in order to enjoy the show. Paul's always loved to prove to me he could do things on his own without my help. It's a crucial part of the sibling rivalry we've had going on since the day we first learned to walk. As much as I'd love to see him stumble some more, I have to step in and feed this thing before it mistakes him for supper!

I ran right past him as he tried in vain to feed Cleopatra again, swaying the plate in his right hand as he did so. I snagged the plate from his right hand as I ran past him, leaving him confused for a moment as he noticed it was gone. I then asked him as kindly as possible what he was doing running off ahead on his own.

"Care to explain how you think it's a good idea to run off by yourself like that?!?"

Paul dodged answering the question by instead focusing on why Cleopatra refused to eat the mutton.

"Hey, I had everything in the bag, alright? I thought this crap was supposed to be it's favorite! I can't even tell if this thing has a mouth or not!"

I held off on face-palming out of pure aggravation as I had to feed this thing, and quick!

"Don't think for a second we're done here Paul! If we do make it out of here, I'd like to have a word with you!"

After getting that out of my system, I turned my attention back at Cleopatra. It seemed timid and shy given it was both hungry ontop of being carnivorous, but I cautiously slid the plastic wrap off the mutton so it could taste it's favorite food. I held the plate out with both my hands so it could smell it. It extended both it's "heads" toward where the plate was, and I could see it's smaller one sniffing out the plate's contents. It seemed to take a moment to contemplate what it had sniffed, before the larger head promptly devoured the mutton in front of it. After it finished the meal, I could swear I heard it let out a purr like it was trying to say it was full, or something. Not really sure of what to say, I just muttered out a quiet "you're welcome" before turning to leave.

My friends caught up with us just as we were about to head back. I wanted to greet them before doing so to let them know I'd just finished with feeding Cleopatra. Before I could do this however, my mind flashed back to Wednesday and Pugsley from before. Damn it! How could I be such an idiot?!? Come to think of it, where even were they this whole time?

Just before I could ponder an answer...I could make out the sound of something squeaky being turned. I instinctively looked up at the walk-way to see if they were there. Sure enough, both of them were turning what sounded like a crank of some kind. It was too high up to tell exactly what, but soon I could hear something akin to gas being released out into the atmosphere. I then remembered the sprinkler system from before. Whatever it was being pumped into the air right now, it _has _to be coming from it!

With my hands now free, I grabbed Paul with both my arms as I bolted for the door. I made sure to shout to the group to start running now to save time on explaining what was happening.

"TALK LATER, **RUN NOW!!!**"

My legs carried the full weight of my body like a speeding bullet as I bee-lined through the path-ways we'd crossed before. I heaved Paul through rows of hostile plants as we'd went back through many paths in an attempt to find the door once again. My friends hurried with me as fast as they could, but soon I began to notice that a dark brown smog of some kind was descending upon us all from above. I had to expect it probably wasn't meant to be breathed in. I covered Paul's mouth with my left hand as I ran with more speed than I thought my body was capable of maintaining.

The smog began to reach my face as I could begin to feel it invade my eyes. They began to burn and water slightly, but I still pushed on as much as I could. Out of desperation, I even started to jump on the pots that the plants themselves were on to get to the door faster. My friends caught onto what I was doing as they all joined in. Bobby in particular tried forcing open a path form himself as the rest of the gang followed him.

As if a miracle happened in the nick of time, I could make out the door toward the north of me. I just had to push through a few more of these things before reaching the exit. I leapt from pot to pot with Paul in my arms as quickly as I could, despite my body beginning to give into fatigue and strain. We reached the door with just barely enough time to spare before it closed shut for good. I let Paul to his feet as I held the door open for him. He exited first before anyone. My friends joined him out a few minutes later as I held the door open for them as well.

Finally, with no one left to go through besides me, I joined my friends and brother out the door and firmly shut it behind me, letting out a massive sigh of relief at the fact we weren't going to be made plant bait after all.


	8. For How Much Longer?

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing pertaining to the Addams Family, beyond this personalized work of fiction. Thank you. :)**

**A/N: This will be the first time admist our little tale we shall gain perspective from that of the Addamses themselves. I do hope on some level this makes up for their noticeable absence in the story thus far. Thank you for reading, and as always enjoy! :)**

**_Gomez's POV:_**

My my, I thought for _certain_ that room would have spelled their ends! It seems fortune favors these boys more than anyone could have predicted.

I had just taken a full gulp of the caffeine enriched coffee I'd been drinking since the challenge began. I'm not normally much of a caffeine man myself, but considering I have several rooms to keep survelliance on throughout the night, it certainly helps to maintain one's singular focus. It was prepared in my finest and personal favorite mug. The one with the medieval varnish and large, matching bat-wings sitting on opposite ends on the top of the mug itself. It also has a saying I personally find most amusing..."Dad From Hell", on the center.

Surely you've guessed by now, but we Addamses are nothing if not unique...wouldn't you agree? ;)

I sat in a small chair that one would normally use when operating a computer. I'd decided at least 5 years ago to set up this personal survelliance system within my private study. With it being so close to me and my beloved Morticia's bedroom, it gives me the ideal vantage point in order to scope out any potential break-ins or attempted burglaries. In addition, I also utilize it to keep tabs on all of our willing participants, just to ensure they uphold the rules and no fights break loose as they travel. Of course, as one might have already suspected, that's where my 2 precious children Wednesday and Pugsley come into play.

My most perfect wife...the moonlit blessing of my days, Morticia was to my side watching somewhat saddened as the events unfolded before us. While she understands the importance of our family's sacred tradition, as well as it's _true _meaning, she has always been worried that the participants will not catch on until it's too late. Her fears certainly weren't lost on me, considering the amount of youth that have come to us and fallen short, but I have confidence at least _one_ of these groups will realize the truth soon enough.

My divine angel of darkness beckoned my attention from the security cameras for a moment. I turned my head to the left in order to directly face the masterpiece that was her physical form. As always, I greedily drank in every last precious detail. Her pale, slender, hour-glass figure. Her precisely applicated mascara and lip-stick. Her gorgeous waterfall of flawlessly conditioned hair, blacker than all the deadest of nights combined. It was as if some omnipotent force hand-crafted for me the perfect soul-mate! What more could anyone, be they man, woman, or otherwise possibly ask for?!?

My sweet wife's voice ensnared my ears with it's soul-wrenching, docile, tone, completely earning the full extent of my attention as it always had.

"This group seems to stand apart from the others that have gathered here tonight."

I smiled warmly at her passing judgement on this rather..._unique_ group of children. Though as of now I'm not fully convinced they will last much longer, they've certainly proven far more resilient than I could have even begun to imagine. I recognized the boy at the front as the young man whom we visited weeks ago as a family, I believe his name was Stewart? Looking back, I realize I did allow my emotions to cloud my perception of him. The boy had no way of knowing our family's traditions, so there stood little point in losing my temper. Regardless, making amends and setting things right could not interfere with the challenge. I shall approach him after the festivities of tonight are over, whether he and his group are victorious or not.

"Indeed, _Cara mia_! However, the question remains how long can they keep it up for?"

My cherished bubeleh let out a gentle chuckle at my sincere question, but soon her angelic features misaligned into an unpleasant frown. While we Addamses delight in fear and all that which cause it, I could never bear the unhappiness of one I treasured far beyond that of my own life. Her undying compassion even for total strangers never once ceased to amaze me. She began to voice her concerns to me about the night's proceedings in her usual, serene way.

"Ohh darling...I know as well as you how much this night means to us all. I just worry if the dangers these children must experience are perhaps just a bit too harsh? I also must wonder aloud...are we _really _doing the right thing with all this?"

I swiftly arose from my seated position in order to face my beloved in the eyes. I understood her fears, her concerns, even sympathized with them to an extent. However, as a man near fanatically devoted to his family's traditions and customs, I fully intend to see the night's festivities down to the very last group if need be.

"Ohh Cara Mia, of course we are! While these methods are no doubt severe, they are essential for testing the fortitudes of our guests. You know better than I people react upon being threatened. Once your safety is endangered, most scatter desperately in an attempt to defend themselves, or that which is dear to them, no matter the cost."

My murose delight's troubled expression seemed to soften at my brief summary. She still seemed far from convinced sadly, and came to me for a deep embrace. Never one to reject her permission to indulge in her physical graces, I warmly returned her advances as passionately as ever. I could feel her pouring onto me her emotions and worries as her body shivered slightly.

Truthfully, I know I can never fully persuade her on this matter. Regardless, I understand that she knows that what is being done here tonight, is what needs to be done. She lifted her head to meet my gaze as we stood together closer than ever. Our bodies entwined with one another as our combined warmth dulled the chill of the cool night air.

"If you trust in our family's way as I know you do, will you extend that trust to me as well?"

I stared into the bewitching, black pools of fire that were her eyes. Her returned stare was all that I'd come to expect after decades of faithful and loving marriage. They carried such pain and sorrow, and yet admist the turmoil I could also see the sheer might that was my beloved's resolve. She adamantly nodded her head before responding to my question in kind.

"...Always, _mon cher_."

**_Pugsley's POV:_**

I shook my head in pure disbelief at the fact me and Wednesday had just missed the same group **_again_**! Were these kids made out of miracles or something?!?

Don't get me wrong, we both knew what our actual roles are in this challenge since the beginning. Our purpose is to threaten each group into moving along and to prevent them from starting fights amongst one another for keys. So far, me and my sister (who's older than me by 2 years), have caught 5 different groups all caught into brawls over keys they hadn't already found yet. This was expected on the part of father, whom placed us as something resembling security guards to ensure no one actually got hurt, besides what dangers lie in the rooms themselves naturally.

That said, if I'm being brutally honest, I couldn't care less what becomes of any of these kids tonight. The only reason why so many even showed up is because our family has some of the most obscure candy on the planet. The kind of sweets you can't just hope to find around the corner, the supermarket, or even any of the wealthiest families in the city! Just going off of the 5 groups we found earlier, that's all any of them gave a single damn about! Each one was no different than the last. They're all friends and sickeningly sweet one second, and then the next they turn into a horde of self-serving piranhas!

The way all those groups teared into each other without any remorse or mercy...and people have the nerve to look at _us _like we're freaks! What a joke!

I turned my head to the left to see my sister staring blankly into the smog just below us. She's had this weird fixation on that "Stewart" kid for a while now. I can't even begin to wrap my head around why he's caught her attention, but then again Wednesday's not someone who's easy to get a read on. She's been like this for as long as I can remember. Her emotions are locked away so tightly, an autopsy couldn't be enough to tell you what she's either thinking or feeling.

All I know is my sister came back home one day, and she was more sad than I've ever seen her before. She wouldn't play with Marie Antoinette. Her pet spider collection. Join mother for knitting lessons, or even play a game of "Hide and Shriek" with me! She just locked herself in her room all day, until mom and dad begged her to come out, so we could meet the family of the boy who caused her so much distress.

I've calmed down a little bit since that day, but seeing Stewart again brought up the memory of just how depressed she was. I get that he couldn't have known any better, but that didn't make me resent his presence any less. I gotta hand it to him though, he's definitely persistent if nothing else.

I tried to speak to Wednesday again as we haven't talked once since that day. She's never been big on conversation, but now we don't even greet each other. That just plain _hurts_, and my family knows a thing or two about hurting.

"Could you just tell me why that kid's so fascinating to you? You haven't spoken a word to me since that day he upset you!"

She looked at me for a second with a complete emptiness in her eyes. As usual, she said nothing, and then looked down at the floor for a moment. I let out a small groan in frustration as I realized I'd just wasted my breath for no reason yet again! Suddenly, the loud speaker on the wall facing our backs screeched with distortion. It was father once again leaving us a message regarding which room we were needed in this time.

"_Children! You are required in the freezer tundra for the moment. Please remember to carry out your duties with grace, and with no bias! Creep well, and scare better!"_

No sense wasting further time here then. Wednesday looked at me once again, the same emotionless apathy remain on her face as she gestured with her neck to the door before us. This would lead us into the next room before the next group even knew we were there.

Might as well see who the new victims are. We might get lucky this time! Heh heh heh...

**_Stewart's POV:_**

I frantically shut the door behind me with my back as I let out a desperate sigh of relief. I haven't felt this wiped since my first skate-board tournament when I was 10, and to think we'd only been through 2 rooms thusly!

My friends all stared at me as I wheezed unrelentingly as my body practically convulsed due to a lack of air. I could see in their eyes a mixture of panic and worry, but I managed a slight wave of my left hand to reassure them I just needed a few moments to catch my breath. With the amount of pent-up anger I had towards Paul at the moment, I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up blacking out before long!

I only briefly maintained an awareness of my immediate surroundings. Bearing in mind my friends were all watching me at the moment, I made sure to request with whatever semblance of reason I had left for them to give us a moment of sibling privacy.

"I know this is probably the worst possible time, but could you guys just give us a moment to ourselves? It won't take long, I promise!"

The guys didn't even bother giving me a verbal reply. They instead just shrugged, and did an about-face as I prepared to give Paul the most stern talking-to he'd _ever _experienced before!

I cleared my throat for a second, before firmly gripping both of Paul's shoulders and making him face me. I pit his back against the wall as I prepared to let out whole hours worth of aggression, anxiety, and general disgust onto him. No matter how much he annoyed me on a regular basis, I can never recall a single moment in time I was **_this _**infuriated by him! At this point, I just couldn't hold it back any longer!! How could I?!? He'd almost thrown himself into the acidic maw of a flesh-eating plant, and for what? Just to prove how "grown up" he is?!?

"Do tell me something Paul, cuz at this point I'm **_literally _**dying to know!!! Is all of THIS enough fun and games for you?!? The 6 of us aimlessly running for our lives, while a bunch of monsters are trying to tear us apart? Then ontop of the fact we're all most likely history, you think it's a good idea to run off on your own to feed a flesh-eating plant that none of us know a damn thing about?!? What do you think could have happened if I hadn't reached you there in time? Did you **_want _**to become plant chow?!?"

Paul squirmed a bit in my grasp, but his expression at least told me my rant was getting to him. I could tell he was trying to hold back tears, but that wasn't going to stop me this time! He **_needed _**to know just how badly we were all screwed here, and by extension himself! I already knew I was going regardless if Paul wanted to or not. It might be suicide, but I'm not letting my friends get hurt if there's something I could do about it. That said, Paul had a choice in the matter. If he'd not acted like a brat like he always has when not getting what he wants, and just stayed at home for once, at least I'd be the one laying his own life down for his friends, and not the both of us!

I paused for a moment to regain my breath, before redoubling my efforts into showing Paul just how hopeless our situation was right now. His face was beginning to redden up a bit, which I wasn't sure to interpret as anger or guilt, but it did nothing to stop the 2nd wave of my little speech.

"I can't put into words just how badly screwed we all are Paul. What makes me so damn mad though is the fact that you couldn't just stay at home! How much longer do you really think Jason, Tommy, or even I can protect you for? The only reason I'm even here right now is because of them, but throwing you into the mix puts way too much pressure on me. I'm only one person! It's one thing to lose a friend, or even a couple, but losing a brother isn't something I could live with...do you understand what I'm saying to you now?"

Paul hung his head low, seemingly in shame at everything I'd told him. It wasn't my intention to make him feel bad about himself, but rather the fact he could have saved himself if he'd just chosen wiser. His eyes were closed like he was pondering our situation for the first time since this challenge began. He soon opens them up again as he finally spoke up for the first time since I'd begun unloading my collective frustration upon him.

" _I'__m_...sorry bro. I just didn't think things would be this crazy! I thought it was gonna be one of those cheese-ball, haunted house attractions or something, like we see at the amusement park once a year. I had no idea we'd be entering Rip Taylor's vacation home out of the middle of nowhere!"

Well, at least he understood this wasn't a game anymore. It still didn't change the fact that win, lose, or draw, this mansion was taking a massive toll on me in every conceivable way. Even though we'd just got done running out of the green-house from hell, we still had even more rooms to go through! I gently let Paul out of my hands as I'd said all I needed, or even wanted to say. I then called out to the guys to let them know the coast was clear.

"Alright guys! You can all turn around again. I managed to steal a blue key from that group we fought before! Let's hurry and find the door it unlocks!"

With that, my friends all turned to face me as we prepared to run off once again. I had no idea where to turn to as we haven't past by any doors with a blue image on them, but it was definitely better than doing nothing at all. I led the group as we ran our way down the hall. As soon as we reached the far end of the hall, I got the idea to check the book-cases we past by for a secret passage-way. This mansion had several rooms with God knows what horrors from hell just waiting on the other side of the door. Who's to say there wasn't some kind of secret path-way hidden somewhere? I called out to my friends about my suggestion.

"I've got an idea. Everyone, check these book-cases until you find a switch or something! With all we've seen so far, there has to be some hidden hall-ways or whatever around here."

With that, my friends and me split up as we investigated each book-case we could reach. Bobby went with Marcus as they both shook down the book-case to the left, whereas me, Paul, Jason, and Tommy all worked on the one we had in front of us. We all grabbed book after book to see if one had a switch of some kind to open up a new path-way, but none so far made any progress.

Paul took whatever books I couldn't hold for himself as he checked each one for a switch. I held back the urge to sneeze as each were quite aged and dusty, and the dust and lint were beginning to wear down the tolerance of my eyes and sinuses. I pushed onward as I returned the books from where I grabbed them after realizing they had no switch or secret to them.

Just when I went to grab a couple more books, my left ear caught the full brunt of a large crash that scared the day-lights out of us all!

"Yo Stew! Think we found that secret path-way you mentioned before!"

I immediately recognized the surly, slightly deep voice as Bobby's. At first I thought it was more of those statues or suits of knight armor from the beginning, but when I turned my head to the left to inspect the cause of the commotion, I realized it was just Bobby and Marcus staring blankly at the book-case.

They both had every last book that was positioned on it sitting next to their feet as they both shared an embarassed look at each other. I facepalmed while letting out a low groan from sheer annoyance. In the event we somehow manage to squeak out of here with our lives, I'm not being held responsible for any damages that we'd have no hope in hell of paying off! I walked my way over to the both of them in order to see if they actually broke anything.

"Uhh guys? I said we should _check _to see if the book-cases had a hidden switch, not massacre them!"

Suddenly, Jason perked up from behind me as he brought to my attention something I'd overlooked.

"Stew, look at the book-case!"

Confused, I took a better glance at the now missing book-case. I was astonished to see it was now completely gone, and in it's place there was a stair-way leading upward! My hands held both sides of my head as my disbelief was stretched to the point of tearing. I couldn't believe I'm even thinking this, but I guess there are perks to Bobby being a meat-headed, gorilla!

"On second thought...forget I said anything. Let's get moving guys!"

Not wasting anytime, we all ran for the new path-way that had opened itself for us. Paul pulled up to my right as I led the pack as always. The first detail I took in as we hurled ourselves up the stair-case was how limited the air felt compared to all this time. The fact I was running up the stairs and not down them caused me to gasp for oxygen more than normal. The walls were made of old brownish wood in poor, aging, condition, and they also contained a good amount of dust which was beginning to make my nose run. I forced myself to take my mind off it as we finally reached the top of the stair-way, making me and Paul the first ones to take in the details of our new location.

The hall-way was relatively simple, albeit with a few noticeable changes compared to the ones before. The lighting was far more subdued here, further impacted by the walls midnight blue coloring which made it hard to make out what was up ahead. The main source of light came from the odd windows on the ceiling. They almost reminded me of the windows you see in churches depicting angels and saints. Aside from that, the other details it had weren't anything we hadn't seen before. A couple of tables with black, antique, vases. Some basic carpets with weird gothic style imagery on them. Lastly, the walls also had a few old, cracked, musty looking mirrors, and some old looking paintings.

I can't say I was full-on unnerved by this place, but I had no time to continue sight seeing. We still had a challenge to win, or at the very least...survive.

I ran on ahead with Paul at my side. The thunderous footsteps of my friends reminded me they were right on my tail. We proceeded north through the new hall-way, using what little light I had to make sure we didn't run head long into a wall or furniture. Finally, we all approached our first dead-end. There was a large portrait of Morticia staring over all of us. She was caught in a slightly seductive pose, with her left hand gripping her chin in a thinking posture. In spite of the ongoing nightmare that has been my visit here, I have to admit this woman has an enchanting presence!

I turned my head to the left and right to realize this wall was a fork in the road. I could see a couple new doors at the end of the hall to the left, whereas the right had another stair-case leading to a new floor most likely. That'll be our new destination after we've cleaned house with the rest of these floors. It was definitely refreshing finally having any sense of direction considering I'd been moving on instinct since the challenge began.

I led the group down the hall to the left in the hopes that we'd reach a door for our blue key. It took us about 5 minutes to reach the doors as I carefully inspected the front of each to see if the key was a match. The door straight-ahead had a violet colored image of a witch riding off into the night sky on a broom-stick. The door to the right had an orange image of a jack o lantern, crudely carved into with a wickedly malicious smile beaming across it's face. It also looked as though it was on fire, further adding to it's general creepiness and omnious appearance.

Finally, the door to the left had a dark blue image of a snowman surrounded by people whom looked frozen in large blocks of ice. Each of which had terrified, wide-mouthed, bug-eyed expressions on their faces which didn't especially lift my spirits up as to what this room was about to put us through.

"I'll wager this is the door for the blue key. Not that it doesn't go without saying already, but be prepared for anything guys!"

I could hear the group let out one, loud, collective, gulp. We'd been through a narrow, pitch-black, cavern, and a garden ripped straight out of the bowels of Hades. I could already feel a frigid chill coming from the other end of the door, causing me to tremble a bit as I slipped the key into the hole. Even the door-knob felt cold and solid like grabbing a small block of ice. My mind was beginning to race once again in a panic induced stupor as I've never been crazy about the cold. If this next room had anything to do with blizzards or ice, we'd be going in with a huge disadvantage as none of us are properly equipped. I can only pray the chill I felt was simply my own anxiety fueled mind playing a cruel joke on me.

I opened the door after a moment of fumbling with the key due to the chill crawling up my spine. When I opened the door, I was greeted with the sight of white powder completely submerging the floor. The room itself had extremely little detail compared to the last 2, but this is only because it seems enormous in size! It was like staring out into an endless void of nothing but arctic cold and pure white snow. The cold chill from before returned with a menace as the wind from the room began to blow like a gust from a hurricane in all our faces. I silently cursed my fate as Paul could easily get sick from going into this room without winter gear. Obviously I can't just leave him out here by himself though, so what other option was there?

Speaking of the devil himself, he was now putting my own thoughts into speech form at the moment.

"Don't suppose we could just turn around and find another key?"

"That would take too much time Paul, and besides which we have to go through as many rooms as possible if we want to win. Of course if you listened to me an hour ago, you wouldn't have to go through this room at all!"

Paul shot me the dirtiest glare I'd received all day at being told off again, but made no attempt to resist as he began to walk through the door-way.

"Remind me never to give you leverage on me again."

I held back a goofy chuckle as I grabbed his right hand to pull him closer to me. The others soon followed in after us, but let out a loud shiver as the freezing cold caught their attention. I managed to get a better look at the room itself now having entered it. It began to feel like some kind of massive freezer room, although what any family would need a room _this _large for completely escapes me.

The walls were made out of white tiles, giving the room a much better visibility than the others we traveled through. I could see some small lights scattered amongst the left and right walls, addition to air vents that seemed to be constantly running. That explained where this winter-wonder land was coming from at least. I walked a few steps forward to see what looked beyond the horizon, Paul by my side as I did so. We both nearly jumped back a few feet to find there was a long stair-case leading down somewhere. It looked like we were on some snowy mountain peak overlooking a large canyon or something!

The group began to approach us from where we were standing. Upon reaching us, they too gasped in shock at what lied beneath us. Before any of us could could comment on our current situation, I could hear a familiar distortion coming from a loud speaker. I sighed in relief as we'd at least have some basic understanding of what to do here.

"_Ahh, welcome again dear guests! I see my beloved wife's plant collection wasn't enough to satiate your appetite for fear and panic. Well rest assured! If dry, humid, temperatures aren't to your likeness, this next room will seem like a healthy slice of heaven!_

_As you've no doubt noticed by now, the room you are currently in resembles a kind of freezer. It is in fact our oldest freezer that we decided to convert into a frozen tundra for this most special of occasions! From below that stair-case at your feet, you will find a sled big enough to transport your entire group._

_This sled's engine is designed to be powered on once it detects the presence of humans or cargo being loaded. From there, one of you must play the leading man, and take control of the steering cables located from inside the crawl-space for your legs._

_This sled is capable of traveling at a maximum of 180 miles per hour! Therefore, it is imperative that you steer with absolute precision, as there are a number of obstacles put in place of the path ahead._

_I'm afraid playing it slow and steady won't win you this race however, as within 10 minutes of the sled taking off, a large avalanche will be triggered. The snow that will barrel down the tundra walls will crush you alive if it reaches you. Your goal therefore is simple, yet highly crucial! You must reach the other end of this room before the tundra's mighty snow consumes you all whole._

_If you are worried about improper equipment for this task, have no fear! The sled has been properly stacked with essential items you will all need to avoid catching a cold, or becoming blinded by the elements. These items include a winter coats, snow goggles, a few hats, and the sled itself has been installed with a heating system to keep it from freezing over._

_As before, we look forward to seeing how you perform when pushed to the very brinks of your sanity! Good luck, and though it certainly won't be easy, do try and stay alive would you? Ho Ho Ho Ho Ho!!!"_

Assuming he wasn't being tounge-in-cheek with that last request, I now had pressure on me that even rivaled the green-house room.

The glacial atmosphere was beginning to take it's toll on the rest of the group. Jason spoke up for the first time since we'd entered, with Bobby right behind him as the cold was already making him lose his temper.

"How long do you guys think this stair-case is?"

"Who cares?!? Anything that gets us out of this ice-box faster is good enough for me!"

As annoying as Bobby is most of the time, I can't say I didn't feel the same about this room myself. We've been here less than 5 minutes, and already I can feel myself turning into an ice sculpture. Paul was fiercely clinging to my right side for any sort of warmth he could scavenge. The poor little dude was younger than all of us, and he's always been a bit short for his age. If I know anything by this point though, it's that standing around and complaining isn't going to accomplish anything!

"I agree with Bobby on this one. We've gotta get to that sled before we all freeze solid here! That guy mentioned something about the sled having a heating system installed. The sooner we reach it, the sooner we won't have to worry about frost-bite setting in!"

With that me, Paul, and the boys all cautiously made our way down the stair-case. I immediately noticed it had some small patches of ice admist the snow that blanketed each step. This made walking down it far slippier than I was comfortable with. I was tempted to warn the others to watch how they walked going down, but I didn't want to distract them from actually walking down the steps. I could begin to see the sled forming in the distance anyway, giving me further incentive to keep my mouth shut until we got to the bottom.

We were nearing the final step when I could finally make out the sled itself in full detail. It had a black paint job with a disembodied hand like the one that helped us back in the first room. It was in the middle of a snapping pose while being in the center of a circle like the ones cartoon characters pop out of. It had 2 large bat-wings toward the back, which went pretty well with this family's gothic sense of style and fashion. There were 3 seats that could house at least 2 people at a time, which was perfect for the group as there were 6 of us in total. Overall, it was hard to argue this sled didn't look like something this family would ride during the winter. As long as it can get us out of this room safely, I couldn't care less what it looks like to be blunt.

We all finally reached the bottom of the stair-case before running toward the sled. The group divided into pairs as we approached each seat meant for 2 people at a time. I immediately noticed the snow goggles, hats, and coats were waiting neatly on the seats themselves. We all slipped on our share of the gear without hesitation, before leaping into the sled itself.

I could feel an instant sense of relief as a comfortable warmth blanketed itself around my body, easing the bitter cold in mere seconds. Paul was at my right as he watched me look for the steering cables of the sled desperately. I can say with confidence I've never driven one of these things before at any point in my life. I prefer my skate-boarding over shredding if I'm being honest. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good snowball war as much as any kid my age, but otherwise me and the cold don't really mix all that well.

Anyways, I gripped the steering cables from within the sled as tightly as I could. I wasn't sure when this thing was supposed to take off, but I made sure to warn the others to prepare for when it did.

"Be on your guard guys! I dunno when this thing's supposed to go, but when it does we need to be read**AAAAAAY**!-"

With that last sentence, my heart practically jumped out of my chest!

The sled rocketed off at what felt like at least half of it's max top speed. My entire body began to vibrate as the sheer speed of the sled easily out-did even the most gnarly of roller-coasters I'd been on! Additionally, the speed the sled was going at made the blistering, ice-cold, snowy winds slam into my face like a hundred tiny sledge-hammers! If it weren't for these goggles, I'd be driving this sled completely blind right now!

The sled maintained it's absurd momentum as we began to come into contact with pine trees and rocks. The cables still in my now trembling and rough hands, I desperately pulled to the left and right at every obstacle I could make out in the distance. Having to pull the cables in 2 directions at the speed we were all traveling was like rope climbing during gym class, only at 50 times the speed! My palms were being raked across the tough, dry, surface of the cables with every pull. It felt like someone was rubbing salt in fresh wounds, even though I knew my hands weren't actually cut or bleeding (that I knew of anyway).

As much as I wanted to, I couldn't turn around to check on how my friends were holding up given what I was doing at the moment. I could feel Paul's arms securely wrapped around my waist as he shivered in fear at the speed we were going at. The fact I hadn't already crashed us yet, or succumbed to my own rapidly growing fear and hysteria was all the proof I needed that miracles do indeed exist. I should have been shrilly wailing out in absolute horror at what I was experiencing, but I couldn't as I held all our lives in the balance, which in turn gave me the resolve I needed to stay focused.

The winds seemingly doubled in speed and ferocity as my goggles were nearly blown off my face. I could feel my hat being abducted by the wind as I pulled the sled away from oncoming danger. The pine trees and rocks were soon accompanied by small pot-holes in the ground that caused the entire sled to rumble whenever I couldn't avoid one. There's just no end to the amount of things aiming to destroy me tonight! Mom and Dad would hate to hear me talk like this, but I'm getting to the point of just letting them annihilate me. I've still got a little brother and friends to keep safe however, so sadly that option's off the table here.

I began to wonder admist the turbulent race within this icy tomb when we'd reach the door on the other end of the room. We were riding at break-neck speeds, and yet the only things I've been running into (some with my face) have been rocks, pine trees, pot holes, and gusts of pure snowy powder. Not to mention, when was this avalance supposed to go down? I'm in no hurry for it to happen naturally, but the last thing I need is for it to take me by surprise.

Suddenly, I decided to look upwards to see if I could spot any snow tumbling down. To my purest terror, I could see a massive boulder falling down to the right after my last swerve avoiding a tree. With all the might I had left in me for the moment, I made the sharpest turn left I could muster to avoid it, painfully skidding my own palms with the steering cables as I did so. Though I managed to avoid crashing into it head-on, the boulder still swiped the rear of the sled itself. This caused it to spiral out of control as we all screamed bloody murder at the very real possibility we'd all be crashing and burning any moment now.

If there was any solace to be had with such a fate, at least we wouldn't be freezing our asses off any longer.

I let out an ear-shattering wail as I realized we were about to crash head-long into a wall on the left. Out of sheer instinct, I used my own body to shield Paul from harm as we all braced for the impact that awaited us. I have no idea whether or not this sled even comes with brakes, but all that matters to me right now is keeping my little brother safe. Even if I can't save him, at least he won't be going alone!

The sled's front slammed **_hard _**into the rock wall that stood to our left. The sheer impact from the collision caused the sled to pinball in the opposite direction, leading to it's rear smacking into the right wall. The force of the crash wasn't as hard on Paul and me as I used my body to protect him from the impact. I can only pray my friends can say the same thing right now.

Once I was sure we stopped moving, I rose my head up to see where we were. The fact we were no longer in motion had dulled the intensity of the winds by a fair margin, but there was little to make out in the distance beyond more pine trees and rocks. I began to wonder how to turn the sled back on as it started to dawn on me we were no longer moving. I decided to focus on more important matters, like the condition my entire group was in right now.

"_You okay little bro?_"

Paul was currently whimpering in fear at what we'd just been through, but managed a thumbs up to signify he was at least hanging in there. I then turned my head back to check up on my friends.

"Is everyone alright?!?"

The guys all slowly lifted their heads up one after another. Though they were visibly shaken up, with Bobby and Jason holding their heads in slight pain, they were at least still breathing. I held my left hand on my heart as my entire group survived a literal collision with life and death. As relieved as I was to know there was still a chance we could all make it out of this alive, I understood I couldn't waste time celebrating right now. That avalanche could strike at any minute, and we currently weren't moving! I have to somehow get this thing back on track, and hit the gas before this room becomes our grave!

Before I could think of what to do next, Bobby uncharacteristically asked me how Paul was doing for the moment.

"How's the Tazmanian troll holding up?"

I opened my mouth for a reply, but Paul beat to it by shakily holding up his left hand. He then extends his middle finger which reminded me of past times we'd been in a jam as siblings. Paul has flipped me the bird in nearly every situation imaginable, both casual and serious. I can only hope Bobby shrugs it off and focuses on us getting out of here. I don't have the time or patience, let alone energy to even start a fight right now, much less break it up!

"It's a miracle, what luck...anyhow, you know how to turn this crap-box back on?"

I wanted to answer that question, but truth be told I had no idea how to work this thing. It just turned on by itself and I was in charge of steering it. I was just happy to have made it this far, even though the crash will no doubt leave us strapped for time.

I finally thought of the best way to answer the question, when Jason conveniently brought up something most..._concerning._

"I hate to be cynical here guys, but does anyone hear a rumbling noise?"

I couldn't make it out at first, but shortly after Jason mentioned it, I could start to feel the sled shaking. It was a subtle, albeit growing vibration that started to sound almost like a large waterfall. The rumbling was quickly beginning to sound like thunder as I could now clearly make out where it was coming from. It felt like the snow was coming down from both sides of us, which nearly caused my heart to combust! I have to find the reverse mode on this thing if we're to have any chance of us squeaking out of here in one piece.

Out of pure instinct, I tugged backwards on the steering cables with all my might. Much to my surprise, the sled's engine turned back on with a mighty roar as we took off straight-ahead. The previous trees and rocks remained in our way as I desperately turned and cornered left and right to avoid them. Now with the avalanche finally starting, we aren't just racing against time. We're now racing against death itself in the form of an ocean of snow!

The tumbling snow thundered down the rock walls that stood over us from the left and right. I could hear it crushing and devouring everything in it's path as we blasted onward to the exit. The raw speed and power of the engine allowed us to stay ahead of the large out-pouring of powdered death. That said, it was only by a few measly feet. If we hadn't been going as fast as we've been, we'd probably already be submerged by this point. This gave me all the reason I needed to steer as carefully as possible, with one wrong move they'd be digging up our frozen carcasses for at least a month or so.

The intense, blistering, winds from before made a comeback as they exploded square in my face. I could even feel bits of hail in the gusts this time as my goggles nearly went flying. I did what I could to readjust them before pulling the cables as I had the entire time we'd been riding. Even with as fast as we'd been riding, it felt like the snow was just playing with us. It was allowing us to believe we could escape it's grasp, when in reality it could have easily consumed us this whole time in mere seconds. I started to feel chips of icicles ramming my right shoulder as we rode forward, further impacting my steering skills as death seemed to be surrounding us at every pass here!

Just when I thought we'd never see the exit to this winter waste-land, I could begin to make out a door in the distance. I praised whatever divine intervention that could be at work here as our salvation was just a short distance at hand. The only dilemma I could make out was the door was on the other end of a sizable gap. Was this some kind of cruel joke?!? Did I really just rocket past a massive pale blanket of frozen destruction, just to plummet to my death ANYWAY?!?

We'd just past by a few more trees and rocks before I realized why the door was across a gap. There was a ramp on the other end of the gap that I couldn't see before due to the rocks and trees in the way! I then noticed we were about to go down a slope, which should give us the momentum needed to ride the ramp to the other side with the door! I remembered to warn everyone else what we were about to do.

"EVERYONE, HANG ONTO SOMETHING!!!"

The sled careened down the slope at what felt like warp speed. Before I even knew what was happening, we were all flying through the air as the sled rode the ramp, carrying all of it's prior momentum with it. Time almost slowed to a halt entirely as I could barely make out what was happening right now, apart from the obvious fact we were now soaring through the frigid air that surrounded us. I could only grab the steering cables out of pure instinct as I prayed with all the reason or sense left in me we would survive the following landing.

The sled harshly slammed onto the ground of the other side. It then continued to slide until it rammed into the wall to the left, right next to the door itself. I mentally gave out the most sincere thank you I could to whatever benevolent force that was at work here, for saving the lives of my brother, friends, and myself. I don't really believe there's such a thing as leading a "charmed life", but I can say with gusto my luck could always be worse.

I decided to turn my head to the right, just to see what became of the snow. I then saw the avalanche slide downward into the dark abyss that awaited us had that ramp not been there. I let out a gentle sigh of relief as I noticed the glove compartment of the sled was now open. I didn't have enough time to fully look it over at first, but from inside I noticed there was an orange key laying in the center. I snatched it almost immediately as this whole trip of death hadn't been for nothing after all.

From behind me, I could hear Jason start to ask me what I was looking for.

"You find something Stewart?"

With a growing smile, I playfully shook the key in my right hand to show the rest of the group what I'd found. They all began to grin widely in excitement as our trip of arctic death wasn't in vain. We all then got out of the sled as quickly as possible, happy that we'd all be one step closer to home. We took off our winter gear and placed it down neatly on the seats of the sled, before I opened the door for us all.

We then promptly left this "ice-box" as Bobby put it from before, with not a second to spare.


	9. A Friend Indeed

**Content Warning: The following chapter contains graphic, frightening, depictions of the injury of a main character. Due to the serious and darker tone of the chapter, viewer discretion is advised.**

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing pertaining to the Addams Family, beyond this personalized work of fiction. Thank you. :)**

I closed the door behind us only to realize we'd ended up in a similar hall-way to the one that led us to those 3 doors. It had many identical traits to the one we'd seen only a little while ago, although I could tell this hall-way's visibility was an improvement over the former. I led the group at my back as we charged forward to wherever this hall-way went to. We were about half-way through it when I could see another bookcase waiting for us all the way at the other end of the hall-way.

I managed to stop my running before we all collided with the bookcase collectively. I forced my mind to work at twice it's normal speed limit as I genuinely needed a way to open it, and fast! Jason then let his own mind be known as he acknowledged the very reason we'd just stopped to begin with.

"Aww man, a dead end! Should we try what we did before?"

I tried my best to rationalize the best suggestion I could offer. Even though Bobby and Marcus's man handling of the last bookcase somehow did the trick, there's no telling what could have been the cause! For all anyone of us know, a single book with a hidden switch fell on either Bobby or Marcus's foot when they knocked everyone of those books down. Regardless, with time being an ever fleeting luxury, there's no way I can afford to be picky with my methods right now!

"I know that worked the last time, but like I said we have to be careful not to damage anything guys! I'm not surviving through the night, just to tell my folks they have to shell out a 2nd mortgage to pay for damages that _we _caused!"

Just then, Paul gripped my right arm fiercely, and forced me to turn around and face him. His shocking burst of strength caught me completely off-guard as there's always been a fair size difference between us. That said, what could possibly be so important that he felt it necessary to almost cleanly yank my right arm off?!?

"Would you cut it out with the good samaritan crap already?!? You've been constantly reminding all of us, but mostly _me_, about how throughly screwed we all are!! You really think this wealthy, deranged, circus side-show of a family gives a damn about how tactful we all are?!? They had to have thrown all this together just for their own sick amusement! That's because they don't expect many of us, if anyone at all to be making it out of here alive tonight! How could you of all people not get that by now?"

I can't in good conscience say I didn't have a rant like this one coming to me tonight. Even more surprising was the fact Paul sounded less like he was legit angry at me, and more like he was trying to get me to snap out of it or something. I know I've been pretty brutal on him all night, but that's only because I actually care about what happens to him. If something should happen to me, who'll stick by his side and make sure no harm befalls him? I can trust Jason and Tommy to protect him to a degree, but there's no guarantee they won't get fed up with him before the night is over!

Though I should have reached the limits of my sanity long before now, I used all the remaining measure of self-control I had left to calmly reply to Paul's rant.

"That's easy for you to say Paul, but what you've conveniently forgotten is that I'm the older sibling! If we end up having to bring news like that back home, who do you propose will take the fall for either of us breaking something? I'm not even saying you're wrong by this point. I just want to be able to go home, without having a black cloud hanging over my head for a change!"

Paul looked back with the same lingering annoyance and frustration, but seemed satisified enough with my response to not press further on the issue. While at my back, I could begin to make out the sound of a heavy foot patting the ground at a frequent rate. Before I could finish my little chat with my kid sibling, I abruptly turned my head around to see an annoyed Bobby, impatiently tapping his foot with his arms crossed. Though it wasn't my intention to keep anybody waiting at a time like this, I wasn't looking forward to receiving an ear-full from one of my least favorite people at the moment.

"If you two dweebs are done being a poor man's Cain and Abel, we've still got a game to win! Move aside Stew, and let the men here show you how to get things done."

I held back with all the restraint I had left in me to not tear my own face off in frustration! That might sound morbid of me, but considering the _wondrous_ night I've had so far, I'd like to believe I've earned the right to be just a little more than pissed off right now! I mean seriously, we've narrowly escaped certain death and maiming more times than I'd ever envisioned needing to survive before, and all in ONE NIGHT!!! Does this kid worship candy or something?!? GEEZ!!!

Regardless of my current desire to use Bobby's collection of chins as punching bags, I calmly stepped aside and let him shake the bookcase down. Marcus joined him to the right as they began to rumble the poor thing from left to right. It took mere seconds for several books to go flying in numerous directions, some of which I had to actively avoid decking my forehead. I counted about 3 minutes time in my head before the bookcase had been completely stripped of whatever books it once held. At the same time however, I also noticed that the bookcase hadn't moved from it's position. It was still towering over all 6 of us, blocking our path-way to the next room we were supposed to enter.

The group all stared down the bookcase in confusion. Bobby and Marcus were by far the most surprised that their manhandling of the bookcase didn't work like before. I would have been more annoyed of course, but I couldn't afford to waste time with something this stupid. I analyzed the bookcase up and down to see if there was some detail we overlooked from before.

As it turns out, there was a small white casing that looked as though it was covering something. I approached it cautiously as I didn't want to risk breaking anything. The group looked on in silence as I inspected the casing more closely. I started to pull at it with my right hand, with a slight amount of force I pulled it open to reveal a small red button in the center of the wall. I gently pushed the button with my right index finger to reveal the bookcase lifting itself upward. From here, we could all see the 2nd floor hall-way we were in not but a while ago. It then began to register to me that these bookcases were meant to create a shortcut between both floors.

After some more astonished gawking, we all collectively exited the hall-way we were in through the new path way. As I turned my back to take one last look at my handy work, I realized this bookcase was in fact the one I checked out from before! Right next to it, we could all still see the one from the left wide open as before. I remembered I grabbed an orange key just before we left that frozen hell-hole of a room. With that in mind, I didn't have to think twice as to where we were going next!

I ran straight for the stair-case we went up from before. The group followed at my back as we hurried up each step with even more speed than previously. I reached the top step again before I could make out a hideous scream. I could feel the sensation of goosebumps forming on my skin as every hair on my body stood to a stand-still. Besides that scream, I could make out a few others right after it. Obviously another group must have made it up this floor. The only question that remained was...what room were they in to bring out such bone chilling, wails of horror?

I turned my head around to see what the others made of this. From the terrified expressions on their faces, it was clear I hadn't simply imagined that echoing shriek of abstract horror that boomed throughout the hallway. I continued to lead my group through the same hallway we'd been through only minutes ago, ignoring the gradually rising thump in my chest as I did so. I went off pure memory as I quickly re-traced our steps to lead us back to the trio of doors we visited only a short time ago.

We reached the large portrait of Morticia before I could see 2 figures frantically running toward us. They were coming down the hall-way from the left, and given the petrified states they were both in, it was clear they'd only just now exited another room. While that explained the source of the screaming, it still only made me guess as to what kind of unspeakable nightmare they were running from. It's pretty damn hard to imagine something worse given what we've been through, but at this point I'm pretty sure I've lost all ability to be surprised.

The first kid was dressed up like a skeleton. A full-body, latex, black and white skeleton suit covered every inch of him besides his facial features. Once he'd gotten closer, he practically tore at my costume robes just to get my attention. His hands were damp with sweat, and I could now directly hear the fear in his voice as each desperate heave for breath carried with it a steady tremble in his voice. He spoke in a rush, panicked tone as he tried to warn us all of the impending danger of the room they'd just left.

"_L-look...__I-_I don't know who you guys are, but if any of you wanna get out of this place alive, I wouldn't go past a door with an orange pumpkin on it! Me and my friend here just left that room, but we had to leave behind 2 of our other friends in the process just to save ourselves!"

My mouth hung wide open as my eyes became saucer-like! Did this kid really just admit to leaving his own friends to fend for themselves?!? Again, I'm no choir boy or purveyor of goodness myself, but even just the thought of abandoning my friends to save my own ass makes me sick to the bottom of my stomach! That said, playing judge and jury isn't in my immediate interest here. Before this kid and his pal goes where they may, I might as well pry what little info I can get out of him regarding that room. If the color of that key I grabbed is anything to go by, we'll all be heading there next!

"I'm sorry for your loss man. Could you maybe fill us in on what's so bad about that room? I've a feeling that's where me and my friends are going now."

The kid's expression tensed up as he held a genuine look of pity in his eyes. I can't say I'm a big fan of the way he ditched his own buds, but if he's nice enough to give us all a heads up before it's our turn, who the hell am I to complain?

I could hear the rest of my group finally catch up to me as their booming foot-steps finally came to a halt. The entire group was directly behind me, no doubt confused as to why our running had so randomly slowed to a halt. Everyone besides Bobby seemed pretty neutral toward the kid I was currently talking to, more confused than anything else. Bobby on the other hand, was close to losing his temper, as I could hear him let out a frustrated grunt at the fact we were now still, instead of moving forward. He crossed his arms together, and his face scrunched into an angry scowl as he looked at the kid I was chatting with like as though he were a cockroach.

As if on cue, the kid's friend caught up with him as well, stopping just behind him to finally catch his breath. His costume was pretty standard of what pirates were known to wear. He had on a small red bandana tied around his head. A medium sized, sleeveless shirt that was light blue with white stripes, and a red sash with dark blue navy jeans for the finish. He gasped and heaved desperately as he took his sweet time regaining every last ounce of his lost oxygen. I decided to focus entirely on the kid in front of me. There was no point in trying to strike discussion with someone who could barely breathe, let alone talk.

The frightened kid's response to my question mirrored his sympathetic gaze to a T.

"Dude, as one kid to another, no amount of candy on this _planet _could get me to finish that room the whole way. Why else do you think we bailed from it in the first place? I'm not telling you this to eliminate the competition. I'm trying to save your **_life _**here!"

Bobby began to crack his own knuckles as he omniously approached the petrified kid in front of me. All I wanted was a few details on the next room we'd be heading to. This really shouldn't be worth starting a fight over, especially at a time like this!

"And just _why_ should we believe anything you little pukes have to say?!? How do we know you haven't already found the prize yet for yourselves?"

That's my patience all but dead. I let out a double-handed facepalm as both the palms in my hands caught my forehead. Now Bobby's most likely going to kick both their asses for no real reason at all! I _really _can't afford for another fight to break out right now. After the night I've had, it's a miracle I can even put one foot in front of the other! I did what I could to restrain Bobby's temper from running wild once again.

"Chill out for a second Bobby! If they already found the prize, why would they be trying to warn us about the next room?"

Before I could convince the hysteric duo that Bobby meant them no harm, both of them sprinted off toward the exit behind us. Bobby tried to catch up to them, but they were already in the next hall-way before he could give any real chase. I let out a mix between a sigh and a groan as we could have used that info regarding the next room. If nothing else though, at least they ran off before Bobby could put me in a deeper mess than I'm already in.

"Whelp...they were sure useful. Anybody for the next room?"

The guys all nodded collectively as our next course of action was set. I hated the fact we'd be going into this next challenge with no prior heads up on what to expect, but for it to make friends abandon one another, it should go without saying that it can't be pretty.

Just like last time, I led the group at my back as we charged forward to that trio of doors from before. We came across the Morticia painting, and ran down the hall-way to the left where the 3 doors were. I quickly pulled the orange key out of my costume robes, and swiftly slipped it into the door's key-hole. I opened the door and led both my brother and friends inside the new horror-show that awaited us.

My eyes were greeted with the sight of large trees with black leaves. I was surprised as none of my immediate surroundings had anything to do with pumpkins so far, but I couldn't afford to let that distract me from what was truly important here. The only problem was now of course, how are we expected to navigate through this forest with no leads to go on?

I turned my back to see what the guys made of this. They all looked just as confused as I was, not that I was expecting any less, but that wasn't quite the same thing as being helpful here sadly. I decided against asking a direct question for the moment, basically nothing worth asking could be realistically answered right now. The only thing that made sense was to just keep moving, which in fairness hasn't exactly failed us so far.

I gestered with my right hand for everyone to follow me, holding my right index finger to my lips in a shushing motion as I did so. We had absolutely zero idea what to expect from this room, and tipping anything off to the fact we were here served no benefit. I carefully squeezed my way through each of the rather large, aging tree trunks as well as I could. The bark upon touching it felt surprisingly smooth, it did not possess the same rough, brittle exterior one would expect from tree bark. It almost felt like I was touching a stone tablet of some kind, it felt way too polished to be made out of wood, but I couldn't focus on that right now, no matter how weird it was.

The boys did what they could to keep pace with me. I made sure to tug Paul along with my right hand as we slipped our way through the bulky frames of the trees that surrounded us. I groaned in annoyance at the fact we still hadn't the slightest of clues on what to do here. I'd expected that guy from before to start explaining things to us so we don't end up walking in circles, but it looks like not even that courtesy would be available for now. With no real sense of direction, the only thing any of us could do was move forward at this point, but we're definitely going to need an idea on what to do here soon enough.

A good 5 minutes or so passes by, and finally I can see an orange glow peeking between the trees we were passing through. It was barely a flicker at first, but as we drew closer to it, I began to recognize it as fire. That also explained a growing source of warmth with each step we took toward it. Though it was nice to have some measure of guidance compared to where we were before, I began to internally panic on what kind of dangers we'd have to experience. Was this room about to pull the mother of all 180s, and force us to tredge through some kind of volcanic inferno or something?

We finally made it past the last of the trees when we were greeted by wide open spaces, accompanied by a old, rusted gate, and a fairly sizable pumpkin patch in the center of all the land. While some pumpkins differed in size, they were all identical in appearance and sat neatly next to each other. Before I could contemplate what any of this was meant to mean, I took a look at the ceiling above us out of pure curiosity, only to find there was no ceiling there at all. Instead, the "ceiling" was in fact much like the night sky, covered with bright stars that twinkled gently a ways above us. The only thing missing from this picture was the sight of the moon, which for some reason was nowhere to be found amongst the pitch-black void of sparkling dots.

I returned my head back to it's original position to discover a couple of brightly lit torches right next to each cropping of pumpkins. That explained that orange illumination I saw while we were still getting past the trees earlier. Of course, that in of itself doesn't explain what we're meant to do here! This whole setup seems way too tame considering everything we'd been through before this room. Was this their idea of an Easter Egg hunt or something?

Before I could question further, a familiar, screeching distortion from a loud speaker could be heard not too from where we stood.

"_Gracious! You children have proven yourselves to be quite the fearless little expeditioners of fear. On a personal note, I must admit my family does enjoy that in like-minded company._

_Therefore, I must state that while your previous endeavors must have felt like the hardest of ordeals. This next one will test your capacities for quick judgements, in addition to decisive action if you desire to get through safely._

_With that said, I welcome you all to our home-made, in-doors pumpkin patch!!!_

_It was one of the first rooms my wife and I built together when we first purchased this mansion decades ago. As you've noticed, __the patch itself is surrounded __with pumpkins, and though they may appear identical at first, the most important distinction is some will begin to glow brightly. The reason for this is these pumpkins have been designed to explode after flashing in just 5 minutes time._

_While there are about a handful of pumpkins designed to go off in this alotted time. I should mention to you all that every pumpkin present in that patch has been infused with gunpowder. This means that if even just ONE pumpkin were to go off in a close enough proximity, then it may trigger the explosions of the other pumpkins close to it. In a word, one might argue you're all standing before one large mine-field._

_To this end, your goal here is to find the key hidden under the ground of one of the pumpkins that will begin to flash. I should warn you though; our children have prepared their own special pumpkins before you set foot in our patch. If you should so happen to uncover the wrong ones before the correct ones go off... I believe you should all have a fair enough concept on what is to happen from there._

_One last thing to note is, the gates you step through will be locked until you can locate the key. Do not let their wearied age fool you! They are far stronger than you'd initially imagine, and they cannot be destroyed with explosions either. The only way in or out of the patch is to either find the key, or... well, the pumpkins might explain it better than I._

_With that said, good luck to you all, and happy hunting this most perfect Halloween night!!!"_

I gulped all at once at the terrifying announcement we'd all just been presented with. We were looking over a giant mine-field this whole time?!? I took every precaution I could when stepping around the rotund, orange, orbs of destruction that surrounded us all. With just one wrong move or poorly made step, an entire army's worth of mines would be going off around our legs and feet. I looked at my friends whom all looked just as scared as I did, and Paul looks like he might be close to fainting right now if we don't hurry this up!

Before I could decide on what to do next, panic was quickly setting in as my friends all began to squirm around as they took in the threat that surrounded us all.

"That entire patch of pumpkins is really a mine-field?!? How are we supposed to deal with explosives?!?"

"I didn't survive a green-house from hell and a frozen wasteland just to be blown to pieces by a couple of "spooky" pumpkins!! What's the plan here Stewart? How do we get around all this crap?!?"

Paul also squeezed my hand partially in fear, but also partially in aggravation as the constant fear and anxiety we'd endured was beginning to wane on his nerves too.

"Well? Got anymore bright ideas there, _Einstein_?!?"

The worried outbursts from my friends, coupled with Paul's serious tone all snapped me out of the trance of terror I was currently in. Whether I could come up with a full-proof plan or not, anything was better than waiting to be splattered across the ground from explosive pumpkins!! With the fact we now had an idea on where to find the next key, the most logical move would be to scatter the group apart to single out each pumpkin that could go off. Not that I was particularly keen on the idea of splitting up, but the fact remains is we can't cover each pumpkin that might explode by simply huddling together. The best strategy for this room would be to spread out into a corners formation. That way we could cover a fair amount of ground, and keep watch on each other's blind spots.

Thinking more frantically than I ever have before, I quickly told the entire group the plan I managed to scrape together with barely a minute or two to spare.

"Alright guys, I think I know the safest way to get through this place! We'll all divide our group into individual corners so we can cover as much ground as possible, while also being able to keep watch for each other's blind spots. When anyone of us sees a pumpkin being lit, the person closest to it will grab it before it can explode. Then, that person throws the pumpkin to the next person, finally ending with Bobby tossing it outside the reach of the other pumpkins so it can't set them off as well. Is everyone in agreement?"

The others pondered the idea for a few minutes, while I began to wonder if this was even the right thing to do at all. We'd all be put at risk to being blown sky-high with just one wrong move, but if we didn't at least try to cover as much ground as possible, we could end up missing a pumpkin that could set all the other ones off. That's not even taking into account the fact that we have no idea what Wednesday and Pugsley's "special" pumpkins can do. I guess we_ could _try to use one of those lit bomb pumpkins to destroy them, but that option should only be saved as a last resort.

Then, finally there's the issue of Paul to consider. How could he contribute to the plan as safely as possible? I hate to admit it, but the best thing he can probably hope to do is just stay out of the way. He's obviously the weakest out of all of us physically, and even if I could trust him to pull his weight to catch and throw pumpkins, I'm NOT letting him touch explosives of any kind!!

Ultimately, I don't have enough time to switch game plans, so this has to do for the time being, and I'm hoping to GOD that it works here!

The guys finally stopped their considering, before each gave me their own distinctive responses.

"It sounds better than anything I can think of, let's do it!"

"Yeah, at least it's better than nothing. I just hope we can pull it off!"

"I can't think of anything better myself right now, so I'm putting my trust in you on this one Stew."

"Uhh... I was right there with you until you mentioned I have to be the last one to throw. Why exactly do _I _have to be the last one to throw a deadly explosive out of range of the others?"

As predicted, the only one that had any objections so far was Bobby. I knew he wasn't going to appreciate being tasked with being the last one to throw the pumpkin out of range of the others, but him being the most physically strong out of us all made him perfect for the job. He'd have the best chance of throwing it far enough away from the other pumpkins. I tried my best to reassure him it was for the purposes of the plan itself, with predictable results.

"I'm sorry Bobby, but with you being the strongest out of us all, you're the most likely one to throw the pumpkins out of range before any of us. It just makes the most sense to use your strength to our advantage in this way."

While Bobby at least heard me out, his expression told me everything I needed to know before he even replied. He clearly wasn't impressed by my attempt to justify my decision, and compliment him at the same time.

"You really ought to be grateful we're buds. If I were your bully, that speech would have earned you a good swimming session in the school bathroom."

Bobby gave me a sly wink as I gulped in fright at the prospect of actually receiving my first swirlie. Though given what we'd been through so far tonight and what we were about to do, a swirlie would barely be a slap on the wrist at this point. Before we could take up positions around the pumpkin field, I felt Paul squeeze down on my hand which he was still grasping. It was like I feared, he wanted in on the action and didn't want me to baby him. It's not that his help wouldn't be welcome right now, but at the same time I have a duty as an older brother to uphold!

That said, where was he even supposed to go? The most obvious answer would be to wait outside the pumpkin patches, but then we'd inevitably be throwing them over the gate. I have no way of knowing how powerful any of these things are, and I doubt even Paul would be capable of outrunning an actual explosion. So just what was the _play _here?!?

As predicted, Paul soon asked me what I'd been dreading since throwing together this whole plan from scratch.

"Hey! Where's _my _part in this whole plan of yours?!? Are you really gonna leave me on the side-lines again?"

That settles it then. If Paul wants to prove to us how "grown up" he really is, then this is as good a time for him to shine as any!

"Relax little bro, I haven't forgotten about you. You'll be our extra pair of eyes and ears for the pumpkins we can't cover at our own ranges. I want you to circle the perimeter around us, keeping a close watch on any pumpkins that you see begin to glow or flare up weirdly. When you find one, give us a shout and we'll take it from there. Sound good?"

Paul seemed relieved that at least he had something to do for a change, but that disappointed look in his eyes conveyed to me I was underestimating him. He wants so badly to show me he can hang with us big kids, but his safety means more to me than what he's capable of. It's already bad enough I let him come along with us to this decrepit, hell-scape, but if I'd known just how serious these people took the word "survival", I would never have even dreamed of making the trip all the way here tonight!

"Not quite what I had in mind, but at least it's something. Can I use one of the lit pumpkins on Wednesday and Pugsley's "special" pumpkins at least?"

"Be lucky you're getting _this _much to do instead of nothing at all Paul. Now's really not a time you want to be pushing your luck with me, little bro!"

Paul held both his up hands in defeat, not bothering to go on with this discussion knowing he couldn't change my mind. It was almost too good to be true, he _actually _was listening to me for a change! I guess every cloud really does have a silver lining after all. I can safely say it was the best thing that's happened to me tonight so far, the other being us getting back home at least somewhat in one piece, but that's still yet to be decided.

"Alright, if everyone's in agreement, let's move into the patch and split up into corners. Paul, you keep your eyes, ears, and anything else open to any pumpkins that start to light up. With that said, let's move out!"

My friends and bro all nodded their heads wordlessly before joining me past the gate and into the pumpkin patch. The gate shut itself forcefully, scaring the holy hell out of us before the challenge even begun. Paul started to walk around each pumpkin, keeping watch for anything suspicious or out of the ordinary, while also keeping his distance from them. I sighed in relief as he understood the reasoning behind why I gave him that job in the first place. It's getting more than a little tiresome having to explain to my own flesh and blood why I'm going out of my way to protect him, but that's not what's important right now. What's important is keeping a cool head, and working together with my group in order to get us all out of here in one piece. That's literally the only thing on the planet that matters to me right now apart from seeing my parents again.

As soon we all reached the center of the patch, we began to divide our numbers individually. Bobby positioned himself at the far end of the formation, giving him the perfect range to throw the exploding pumpkin out of the patch and away from the others. Marcus was across from his position which allowed him to pass each pumpkin directly to him from the others. Jason and Tommy were lined up across from one another as I knew their team-work and almost perfect sychronization would make passing pumpkins between them a cinch. That just left me to circle our position and locate any pumpkin in range that was lit, assuming I could reach it in time, that is to say.

The area around us was incredibly quiet for how tense the situation was, perhaps even unbearably so. We were all essentially waiting for one of many bombs to light themselves on fire, and then playing hot potato with said bomb until we could throw them to a safe enough distance. I'd like to believe this family believed in fair play. These explosives shouldn't be able to reach too far in terms of blast radius, but then again at best this could be considered a hunch on my part... and a desperate one at that too. Regardless, I decided not to make my move until I could pick up the sound of a fuse being lit. I'm not wasting time or energy that could be better served neutralizing a threat.

A few minutes go by, and I can feel my nerves begin to contort themselves as my muscles tightened in response to the situation. Just how long would it take for one of these pumpkins to ignite? I had to hold myself back from beginning to circle the perimeter. If we're gonna pull this off the right way, the worst thing to do in this situation was to make any sudden movements. We have to be both precise AND patient to get through this death trap in one piece.

After what felt like the longest 5 minutes of my life, my right ear finally picked up the sound of a fuse being lit. The sizzle noise that usually follows a lit fuse was noticeably louder than I expected, but I could tell judging from the volume that it was somewhere behind our formation to the right. On impulse, I rushed to the source of the noise in order to snatch it as quickly as possible. I could tell which one it was by noticing the glowing light that illuminated it, setting it apart from the others. It was positioned somewhere in the center of it's row, just 2 rows behind our own formation.

Before running on back to join the others, I quickly inspected it's front. It had a neatly carved, albeit sinister expression with a wicked grin and 2 evil looking hollow holes where eyes normally were. The fact it was currently glowing with light from within while sporting such a twisted smirk gave it an almost supernatural appearance, which made even more desperate to throw it out of range before it could detonate. I quickly dug my right arm into the hole just beneath the pumpkin I'd grabbed, no key to be found. It was disappointing, but I'd be a moron to suspect it would be THAT easy to find it.

Once I returned to my original position, I threw the lit pumpkin to Tommy whom was the closest person to me in range. He then caught it, and proceeded to throw it to Jason, whom then threw it to Marcus, finally ending with Bobby throwing the literal bomb out of the patch, just over the gate. I could tell Bobby used as much force as he was able to upon throwing, at least somebody took our fight for survival seriously! Meanwhile, I could make out Paul's heavy foot-steps in the background, which told me he was circling our positioning like I'd asked him to from earlier.

I waited for the pumpkin to go off before moving in to grab another. The explosion was inevitably going to drown out the fuse being lit, and it was because of the noise that fuse let off I managed to find that first one so quickly to begin with. Sure enough, the explosion let out a deafening rumble that left my ears with a brutal ringing noise that just wouldn't go away. The explosion was set off just beyond the gate we past through, making it no longer a threat to any one of us. That said, the God awful noise it left in it's wake, plus the earth beneath my feet shaking right now even as I speak was somehow more frightening than anything else I'd either seen or felt by this point. I tried with all my remaining energy to shake off the startling effect from the kaboom, and ran once again to find another pumpkin preparing to explode.

The ringing in my ears was finally beginning to dissipate, and from here I could now pick up the sound of another fuse. It sounds even further off from where the last one was, but that's all the more reason for me to be hurrying up here. I rushed toward the source of the noise as quickly and carefully as I could, bearing in mind I was practically leaping over the other pumpkins in my way. I found the lit pumpkin center-left of it's row, 4 rows away from the end of the patch. I doubled over my running in an effort to reach my friends as soon as possible. This couldn't be stressed enough, but literally every second counted here, assuming we were to avoid being blown sky-high. I reached into the hole in the ground to check for a key, only to find nothing there waiting for me, just as before.

I threw the pumpkin as soon as I reached my friends again, aiming for Tommy once again as I did so. My throw was a bit sloppier than I'd of liked it to be, but Tommy caught the damn thing more or less as well as he'd done before. This led to the pattern repeating itself as Bobby soon chucked the pumpkin about the same distance he did the first time.

This time, I made sure to cover my ears to block out the sound effects of the explosion as much as I could, everyone else wisely followed my example, including Paul who hunched over a fair bit as both his hands covered his ears completely. Bobby managed to throw the pumpkin a bit farther this time, but carefully aimed to throw outside of the gate again. The explosion was still louder than any firework I'd ever heard or set off before, but at least the ringing in my ears was no longer present this time. The stench of gunpowder was nearly unbearable as it practically choked each breath I took while infesting the atmosphere around us all.

Once it was safe to uncover my ears again, my heart skipped a beat as my ears picked up the sound of 2 fuses lighting this time! They both came from opposite directions annoyingly enough, which meant I wouldn't be able to grab both of them simultaneously. I hated having to break up our formation this way, but if even just _one _of the these things were to go off...

NO! I CAN'T think about things like that right now!! I have to focus on what needs to happen over what will happen. I bellowed out to the group that we'd have to break formation in order to get out of this situation.

"I hear 2 pumpkins lit up this time! Anyone closest to me take the one on the left, I'm going for the right! Don't forget to check for a key in the hole it's under!"

Tommy immediately began to run to the left as I proceeded onto the right, using the sound from the fuse as a guide as I hurried onward to it's source. Thankfully, it was closer to us than the first one had been, a little bit center-right and only a single row apart from our own formation. As before, I checked the hole the pumpkin was hiding from underneath, only to find there wasn't a key there either. I reached the group again far before Tommy could manage to, which immediately made me nervous as to whether or not he could get that explosive out of the way in time or not.

After the others repeated the process for a 3rd time, I could see Tommy catching up to us. Instead of waiting to get into range of the others though, he opted to just chuck the pumpkin directly at me. For him to take a risk like that, he's most likely trying to get the pumpkin to the nearest person that can get it out of range in time. In other words, the pumpkin I just caught doesn't have much longer until it goes boom!! Without even acknowledging the others, I quickly bolted all the way to the end of the patch and threw the explosive as hard as my arms would allow. I even managed a small leap to give my toss some extra momentum. I barely had a milli-second's worth to cover my ears in order to drown out some of the explosion, and even then this room wasn't even giving me that long to catch my breath with! The pumpkin travelled over the gate as it had before, but I managed to get it a slightly farther distance away from the gate than Bobby did, surprising myself as I more than well enough know my own strength by this point. If my body weren't practically overflowing with adrenaline right now, my throw would be lucky to even reach the gates themselves, let alone fly directly over it!

Before moving onto deal with the next threat, I remembered to ask Tommy if he found the key while retreiving the pumpkin. He was noticeably out of breath and wheezing, which told me it probably took him all he had just to make it back with the pumpkin in time.

"Any luck with finding the key Tommy?"

"Sorry man. I dug my arm as deep as it could go, but all I found was dirt."

As soon as I uncovered my ears once more, Paul caught our attention with an announcement that caused the blood in my own veins to freeze over solid...

"Uhh... guys? Remember those "special" pumpkins we were warned about earlier?"

Paul was shaking considerably with an expression of pure terror on his face as he pointed in the direction of what he was talking about. My own heart felt like it flat-lined for a flash of a second as I took in the rather grotesque abominations that were standing not too far outside the patch. There were 4 pumpkins with these creepy, darkish green, vines flowing freely outside of conveniently placed holes on the pumpkins themselves. The vines seemed to take the shape of 2 pairs of arms and legs, which is what allowed them to stand up-right at all. I have no idea nor interest in knowing how any of this was possible. All I know is whatever they're supposed to be, it doesn't take a genius to know they aren't friendly!

Jason uttered out just one question which I'm pretty sure reflected our reactions toward the situation perfectly.

"What the... _fuck _are those things?!?"

"Don't know, but my guess is they aren't interested in introductions! Everyone, get as much distance from those freaks as you can! It's time to use this family's own weapons against them!"

Just after I shouted our next course of action toward the others, another 3 pumpkins began to ignite their fuses! I have to be crazy for suggesting something like this, but I don't think we're gonna beat these things in a straight up fight. It makes more sense to use the bombs themselves to drive these monsters, or whatever they were supposed to be back. Jason, Tommy, and Bobby all charged forward to grab the ignited pumpkins before they could detonate, but I realized that Paul wasn't falling back like I told everyone! Here I was convinced my own brother was listening to me for a change, goes to show just what kind of stupid I really am.

I practically screeched my entire essence at Paul for him to get out of their way. Whatever he was attempting here, now was literally the worst possible time for him to play the hero.

"**PAUL!!! ****GET AWAY FROM THOSE THINGS, ****NOW!!!**"

To my ultimate dismay however, he seemed to be egging the monstrosities on. It looked like he was trying to draw out their attention to lure them further away from us, which couldn't be any more opposite of what I'd like for him to do!! He keeps thinking trying to get himself killed is going to impress me, when all it'll end up doing is proving what a failure of a sibling I've shown myself to be. As much of a spineless coward as I've been these past few weeks however, I _can't _let so much as a strain of Paul's hair come under harm here!! No matter what happens to me or even anyone else, nobody but NO ONE HURTS MY LITTLE BROTHER!!!

Before I could sprint off to save him from those pumpkin monsters, Bobby called to me in an effort to warn me about getting Paul out of the way of the pumpkins they were about to throw.

"Yo Stew! If you wouldn't mind, could you get Paul out of the way here?!? We can't get a clear shot with him buzzing around, and we can't hold these things forever!!"

Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse! This whole plan was meant to minimalize damage and make things as safe as possible for everyone involved, and instead all I've done is put my own sibling in harm's way!! I can hate myself later, the only thing that matters is getting my little bro away from those things and right to safety!

With nothing holding me back, I made a bee-line to where Paul was, currently trying to bait those freaks into chasing after him. He was moving them away from the patch and out into the open, allowing us to continue removing the bombs away from the patch without interruption. I tried to catch up to Paul before they could grab him first, but sadly he always was the faster of us 2. Even at my peak conditioning, there's no way in hell I could keep pace with him, let alone out-run him! Thankfully for me, he's a sprinter and not a long distance runner. Once he begins to lose steam and slow down, I can proceed to make my move from there.

We were a pretty decent distance away from the patch when Paul was starting to slow down. I took one last look at the guys to see how they were holding up. Jason, Tommy, and Bobby already disposed of their pumpkins much to my immediate relief. Strangely, Jason and Tommy were looking directly at the gate they'd thrown their pumpkins toward, but Bobby was looking straight at me with a deadly serious, nearly emotionless look on his face, like he was in full awareness that what he'd just done was inherently evil.

Suddenly it hit me... the sick bastard didn't throw his pumpkin toward or over the gate this time. He was instead aiming directly for US!! He was going to take out those monster pumpkins, and sacrifice the both of us at the same time. That's why he warned me earlier about getting Paul out of the way! It wasn't out of concern for his safety, it was to lure me into a trap!!!

My well-being is no longer a concern!!! Even if I can't count how many pieces of myself there are after the explosion, as long as Paul's okay afterward, at least I'll die with the knowledge that I've done one thing right in the end.

With every drop of adrenaline or energy I had left in me, I lunged my entire frame like a missle toward Paul's position.

"**PAAAAUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLL!!!!!**"

My hands managed to reach Paul in the nick of time to push him out of the range of the oncoming explosion. That was about the only thing I could recall, or even care to think about before...

... _Boom_

My ears wouldn't stop ringing at the explosion. For a while, that was all my body could process. It wasn't until I'd regained some of my previous senses that my right knee found itself in excruiating pain. I'd landed hard on the ground with an ugly sounding thud as my body rolled a bit closer to the patch. The corner of my left eye saw Paul on his back not too far from where I was laying. He looked dazed, but at least he wasn't injured by the explosion... _Thank God_.

My knee throbbed and pulsed with an unbearable sensation of pain and agony. I placed my right hand on it out of instinct, only to draw it back to see my hand was now coated in my body's own blood. I instantly gagged at the sight and had to resist the urge to vomit. I knew all my limbs were still together, but I could only guess at the amount of damage my right knee has suffered. That said, at least I managed to go down honorably, protecting my little brother in the end, even at the cost of my own life.

It's extremely unlikely I'll be going any further from here, but as long as Jason and Tommy can look after Paul in my place, then I can rest in peace.

I'm getting light-headed... think I'll just shut my eyes for a bit.

**A/N: My sincerest apologies for not having updated in over a month, but I've had personal complications get in the way of my writing abilities. The next chapter might be the last one depending on my mind set, but who's to say? Tune in next time to learn Stewart's fate admist this betrayal!**


	10. The Light In Darkness

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing pertaining to the Addams family, beyond this personalized work of fiction. Thank you. :**)

I would go into explicit detail about the amount of things that were surging through my head, but with my eyes currently shut, and myself fighting just to stay awake for the moment. The only things I could process were the voices of my friends and little brother for the time being.

"_Stewart?!? STEWART!!! Get up damn you, you **can't **just leave me like this!!!_

"_YOU FUCKING MANIAC!! Just what the hell were you THINKING?!?"_

_"Hey look!! It was either risk getting caught by those freaks, or cut off some loose strings holding us back. That little brat's been a pain in our asses for years now, and we all know Stewart wasn't just gonna leave him behind! With them both gone just means a bigger share for us all to enjoy. That's what we're all here for, isn't it?"_

_"We came here for a change of pace and to enjoy Halloween as friends! Not just so you could have a convenient excuse to stuff your damned face!!"_

_"Pfft... say what you like! The fact remains is that I now have the next key. So long as I'm the one with it, that means I'll be the one calling the shots from this point onward, that is assuming you guys want to get any further from here!"_

_"You can take that key and go straight to HELL!!! None of us are leaving behind Stewart, OR Paul!! Right guys?!?"_

_"There's no way I could forgive myself if I just left Stewart behind after he saved me, and that was right before we saved Jason. Sorry Bobby, but no way, no how!!"_

_"Well... what about you then, Marcus?"_

_"... S-... Sorry guys. Tell Stewart and Paul... that it was nothing personal."_

_"You coward..."_

_"I guess that settles it then. Suit yourselves fellas, but when you all end up dead, or as some creature's shit. Just remember I gave you guys a chance to get out of this alive, which by now is more than anyone could say for the two of those losers behind you! Let's go Marcus."_

"_Dude, forget about them. We've gotta get Stewart and Paul out of here! That kid from earlier was right, no amount of candy on this planet is worth losing our friends over!"_

I could begin to make out Jason and Tommy hurrying their ways over to where I was currently embracing the ground like a worm. The only other noise that was audible given my present condition was Paul's sobbing as he laid his head sideways on my back. I wasn't sure if he thought I was dead right now, but given the general state of agony my right knee was in, maybe death was a mercy I've been overlooking until now.

As it is, I'm pretty sure there isn't another way out of this for me. Once Jason and Tommy reach us, I've got to tell them both to leave me behind, and get Paul the hell out of this mansion!! How could I have been such a damned idiot?!? Before this whole challenge even began, I knew better than anyone just how weird this family was at least on the surface, but never in my wildest of nightmares could I have imagined they'd be into _this _kind of stuff!

_Well_... I guess this is finally the end for me... I'm not all that sure what'll happen once I pass on, but at least Paul can hopefully live to tell both our stories. My only regret is the fact I put nearly everyone in my life important to me in danger. Maybe they wouldn't have sent me that letter if I'd just went through with scaring Wednesday to begin with, but then again I couldn't have stopped my friends from coming here anyway. I never exactly prepared for the day I'd say my final prayers, but so far only one's actually coming to mind...

"_Whoever or whatever is out there that can hear this prayer... please... just please allow my little brother to **live.**_"

"Paul! Are you alright? Is Stewart still... _y'know_?"

"_H-... sniff, He's still breathing, b-but he hasn't said a word since I found him like this. It's all my fault!! He was trying to protect me as he always has, and all I did was force him to take an explosion. Now his knee won't stop bleeding, and I don't know what to do!"_

"He's bleeding now?!? Ohh God, poor dude. Don't worry Paul, we've got things under control. Tommy, help me lift Stewart up so we can get out of here!"

"You've got it man! Hang in there Stewart, we're not going anywhere without you guys!"

My back felt about 10 pounds lighter as Paul removed his head from it. I could now feel somebody wrapping my left arm around their shoulder as my body was being hoisted up, followed by my right arm as I was now being lifted off the ground and back to something of a vertical base. I still winced as my right knee received a pulse similar to a heart-beat, but as tempting as it is, I can't concern myself with that right now. As flattering as it is that my closest friends are trying to return the favor from earlier when the challenge first began, them trying to save me would only slow them down, and therefore make getting Paul out of here that much harder. I've got to tell them to leave me behind and focus only on getting Paul to safety, now!

"_Ugh... g-guys??"_

"Jason, did you hear something?"

"It's Stewart, he's awake! We were so worried about you man, Paul thought he'd lost you for good! Are you alright?"

"_Y-... yeah, not really, my right knee feels like it's on fire, but listen carefully... you guys have to forget about me, and find a way to get Paul out of this mansion and back home. Do you understand?"_

"Are you crazy?!? There's no way in hell we're leaving you behind!! After you saved the both of us when everyone else ran off? What kind of friends would we be if we just left you here to die?!? How would we explain that to your parents?!? Just stop being ridiculous, and let's get home in one piece okay?"

"_Urgh... I appreciate it guys, I really do, but if you try to save us both, you'll only be slowing yourselves down as well. Right now, the only thing that matters to me is getting Paul back home, safe and sound. Just because I won't make it back doesn't mean he should have to die too. Forget about me, and just make sure Paul lives to see tomorrow... **please!**_"

"But Stewart!!!"

Just then, Paul spun around and looked me dead straight in both my eyes. He gripped my chin with what felt like every ounce of force he could muster. I would have been just a bit frightened at his current display of anger and frustration, but the agony in my right knee made much of anything hard to concentrate on. He began to tell me off in a similar fashion to the way I told him off when we'd just left that terrifying green-house from earlier.

"_Now_... **_you _**listen to me! With everything we've been through together, and after everything you've ever done for me, do you really think I'd just let you die here?!? Never mind explaining it to mom and dad, how am I supposed to live with myself, knowing my only brother had to _fucking **DIE**_, just so I could live on?!? I swear right now... if I can promise anything tonight, even if it _kills _me, we're ALL getting back home safe and sound, together!"

I could elaborate as much as my mind would allow me on what I'd been forced to take in by Paul, but no words I could ever hope to muster would explain what it felt to hear how much Paul cares about me. We've always been pretty close in spite of our differences and arguments, but I never truly got the idea he'd go as far as to die for me. I just always thought that was a parental or older sibling sort of thing. We all end up caring more because we basically _have _to. It's not just because it's what's expected of us, but that the elders have to lead by example. I'd be lying if I said I've always been the most positive force in Paul's life, but I like to think he's always known I do care about him.

Regardless, all I could do was stare blankly at him. My eyes were wider than I thought they could open up, and my mouth hung agape at his impassioned speech. I briefly spared Jason and Tommy a glance and their expression mirrored my own. They looked as if though they had to be dreaming what they just heard. Jason managed to regain his senses long enough to remember that we still had a mansion to bail from.

"You hear that Stew? Looks like your little bro can't go on without you. Do you have the heart to tell him he has to anyway?"

I let out a small chuckle as I once again had no comeback to offer. What was I supposed to say? Even more important than a retort was the fact that Paul was right here. Besides the impossible task of explaining my passing to mom and dad, Paul would have to live with survivor's guilt for the rest of his life. The very last thing I'd want is for my noble sacrifice to make his life even harder on him years from now.

"... _Alright Paul... as usual, you win._"

"What a surprise. Just take it easy for now big bro, and let me take the lead for now."

I wasn't in much of a state for arguing in my present condition, so somebody would have to take over in my place. Paul began to lead the way as he ran beyond the now opened gates. Jason and Tommy followed him as quickly as they could given they were basically dragging my limp carcass at the moment. I could tell we were passing through the gates now, which made me worry whether or not Paul could lead us through the trees on his own.

As we began to reach the trees, Paul patiently waited for us to catch up as my 2 best friends carried me as carefully as they could. My right knee continued to ache unendingly as the blood oozing from it stained my costume. I wasn't sure how much longer I could stay conscious in this state, but worrying about getting this wound patched up would have to wait until after we get back home. I don't have the slightest of clues on how we're supposed to get our boards back, but then again even the best board on the market isn't much use if you're dead.

In all that's been said, I can't believe I've forgotten to mention Bobby and Marcus! I knew it was Bobby that put me in this state, and it looks like Marcus jumped ship in order to save his own hide. As much as I'd like to say Bobby's betrayal is surprising, I always knew it'd either be him or Marcus one day. Bobby's always been out for himself more than anything else. The only reason he ever hung out with us was so we could help him with homework and to stay out of detention. Marcus on the other hand, while I knew the least about him compared to anyone else by far, never struck me as dishonest or a traitor. We generally get along pretty well all things considered, even if he's the most quiet out of our group.

As one might expect, neither of them are my favorite people in the world right now. It's not even that I can't forgive Bobby for his attempt at murdering me, but it's the fact he tried to take both me AND Paul out together at the same time. Assuming either of us get out of this hell-hole alive, that fat SOB can consider himself a marked man! I know vengeance isn't a particularly healthy thing to harbor towards someone, but trying to hurt my little bro makes this as personal as it can be! Even if it ends with me getting sent away, this isn't over between us, not even close!!!

As for Marcus, while I do feel more than a fair share of pain and anger toward him abandoning us, at least he didn't go out of his way to kill both me, AND my brother. We're definitely off each other's phone number listings after this is over, but right now Bobby as far as I'm concerned is public enemy number 1! Having said that, I can't concentrate on formulating revenge until we can get ourselves out of here. I need time to recover, and everyone else needs to be somewhere safe, which is pretty much anywhere but this mansion at the moment!

Paul somehow managed to lead us through the trees in about the same amount of time I did. Jason and Tommy did their best to keep pace with him given what they were carrying with them at the moment, but Paul said nothing about their speed, understanding the severity of the situation at hand. He quickly opened the door for us all, holding it open for Jason, Tommy, and myself to pass through first. He then shut the door behind us, and proceeded to lead the 3 of us back to the stair-way that led to this part of the house.

The way there took a bit longer than it would have normally given I couldn't walk on my own right now, but we managed to make it at our own pace. As Paul was standing right next to the stair-way, waiting for all 3 of us to reach him, a large wall appeared from the very top of the stair-case. Paul just barely reacted to it in time as the shock caused by the sudden intrusion led to him stumbling backward, nearly falling rear first on the ground as he did so.

Before I could fully process what'd even just happened, a familiar screeching audio came through a loud speaker in the distance yet again. This was the first time they'd ever contacted us outside of a room, but given they just blocked off our only exit, I can assume it has something to do with us leaving.

"_Tsk Tsk Tsk... Dear guests, this is a most disappointing development indeed. You've all shown tremendous bravery and coordination in your efforts to successfully win this game. For you all to turn back now and simply flee for survival is a betrayal of just how far you've all come. I do apologize for having to resort to methods such as these, but I'm afraid I simply cannot allow any game to go unfinished. Not to worry however! Our children shouldn't be too far away from where you are currently."_

Okay, _now_ I'm convinced these people just want us all dead!

After hearing this terrifying announcement, Paul and the others begun to panic as now we not only have no place to go. We now know that we aren't even alone in these hall-ways! Wednesday and Pugsley could be lurking around the hall-ways as we speak, and our only exit has been effectively cut off. To put it bluntly, we're trapped like rats in a spot of the house I don't even know all that well. Even worse is the fact we're not gonna win a fight against those 2 kids. Paul's the youngest and therefore weakest of us all, then Jason and Tommy can't defend themselves _and _me at the same time, and finally I've got a bum leg and can't even stand up right! We've all seen they're capable of using weapons, and we don't even have our boards with us right now!!

Before all hope could be lost, Jason called out to Paul on what to do next from here.

"Just how badly do these people want us dead?!? C'mon Paul, we're counting on you here!! Where do we go now?"

Paul had an aggravated grimace on his face as he seemed deep in thought at our next move. I hated that he had to bear so much pressure on him right now, but there wasn't much I could do in my current state sadly. A couple of minutes go by and Paul suddenly rushed back the way we came, seemingly with purpose in mind. My closest friends ran after him while still carrying me along as well. I could hear their grunts and pants of effort as they heaved me toward the direction Paul was running in.

"Paul, wait up!! Where are we going?"

"We're going to find another way out of this death-trap! If they aren't gonna let us go quietly, we'll just have to make another exit for ourselves then!"

I couldn't be more proud, and more than a little surprised at how well Paul's taken control of the situation so far. Despite clearly being as scared as the rest of us, he's not allowing his fear to overcome his reason. As hopeless as things genuinely seem right now, I can confidently state that doing anything still has to be better than doing nothing at all. Even if all we're doing is prolonging the inevitable, that doesn't mean we have to roll over and play dead for them!

Paul sprinted off toward that fork in the road where we found those 3 doors. I began to remember that there was a 2nd hall-way which led to a stair-case. I groaned partially in pain from my knee, and partially in annoyance as taking a stair-case up would be taking us further into the mansion, rather than out of it. That said, it's not like we even have a choice by this point.

Furthermore, neither of us exactly went into this place with a good exit strategy in mind. I just never expected to need one given nearly every kid in our neighborhood showed up to accept the challenge. How anybody could predict a family would have either the time, or resources to set something like this up truly escapes me beyond what mere words can convey.

We ran our way up the stair-case in our efforts to find another way to escape the mansion. Paul waited patiently for us to catch up to him at the top of the stair-case. Jason and Tommy heaved my full body weight up the entire stair-case as well, albeit not without some considerable difficulty given the heaviness of their breathing and grunts. I mentally cursed at how useless I felt at not being able to manipulate my own body, but putting any weight on a bad knee would accomplish nothing but put myself in further agony than I already am. I'm already drifting in and out of consciousness right now, so odds are more suffering would only speed up the inevitable process of me passing out.

At the top of the stair-case, I could make out a portrait hanging off a wall from a rather dimmly lit hall-way. Like I said before, being on the move still beats standing around doing nothing, but going up instead of down only made me feel nervous at just what lay in store for us. Even if we could find a way out from up here, there's no guarantee it won't just be leading us into yet another trap. That said, we're basically shit out of options by this point, so anything even remotely resembling a way home is good enough for me right now.

Paul gave the decision of picking a direction a bit of thought, before finally darting off toward the left, prompting us to follow him. Though still in a considerable amount of pain, I made sure to take in each detail of the hall-ways we were going through.

They had many of the same details all the other locations possessed. A noticeably bare amount of light, just enough to keep things visible, but bleak enough to make sight-seeing a chore. Some paintings usually depicting disturbing events like warriors engaging their enemies on an ancient battlefield, witches concocting bizarre experiments over simmering black cauldrons, or large, frightening monsters closing in on their petrified human victims.

These frightening depictions, coupled with the rather desolate amount of usable light made our travels through this place increasingly unnerving. If push comes to shove, I'd even settle for being chucked out of one of these Victorian era windows just to get out of here! Paul continued to guide us through each hall-way undaunted, though by now it's becoming clear to me that we aren't making any progress at all. In fact, with how similar each of the layouts of these hall-ways are, it's beginning to remind me more and more of...

"_N-No... damn it, it really is another t-trap!"_

"Mmm? You say something Stew?"

As if sensing my growing dread, Jason somehow overheard my tense, pain filled, whisper as my voice was low and mostly in groan form. I have to warn the guys before it's too late! With my best efforts to ignore the miserable suffering in my right knee, I put all my remaining energy into warning Jason and Tommy about the trap we all blindly stepped into.

"_Ugh... g-guys, you have to t-tell Paul to turn b-back. We're all stuck in a maze right now, which is w-why it feels like we're running around in c-circles!"_

The both of them just stared at me completely awe-strucken at what I'd just revealed to them. I can imagine neither of them realized it for themselves given what they've literally had their hands full doing right now, but that's not what's important at the moment! The longer we spend time in this maze, the more energy and effort that goes to waste here. Paul can't just keep on running forever, and I know Jason and Tommy are approaching their limits as well, no matter if they try to deny it or not.

Without hesitation, Jason and Tommy both called out to Paul before he could start running down the next corridor.

"PAUL, STOP!!! We've run into a trap, we're all stuck in a maze right now. This whole time we've just been running around in circles, and none of us even knew it!!!"

Paul spun around near instantaneously as he attempted to think over what he'd just been told. He didn't seem totally convinced at both of their claims, but began to rush his way over to us after Jason and Tommy finished making their point.

"Guys, what are you both talking about? We haven't even been through a maze so far, in fact I-"

Just then, a long, glass mirror slammed down in front of where Paul was standing, completely blocking his path back to us. My mind began to race itself to death in circles, as an inescapable sense of fear and dread flooded it's way into my pain and exhaustion wracked body. I could hear him begin to shout from behind the mirror, thunderously pounding on it as he tried with all his might to reach us where we were. I could only grimace and recoil in pain and despair as the absolute worst case scenario just came to pass! This whole time I've managed to keep Paul in my sight, and out of harm's way, and now THIS has to happen! Was refusing to be alone with someone else really deserving of this?!?

NO! This isn't fair, to anybody!!! I'm the idiot that didn't put my foot down when Paul insisted he come with us. I should have personally dragged his ass back home, no matter how much he complained about it or cursed me out in the process! After what I've been through and the pain my right knee is in right now, being grounded until my hair turns gray is a day in paradise as far as where I'm currently "hobbling" at the moment!! If I only showed a little bit more authority as an older brother, Paul wouldn't be in this place right now!!! If anyone deserves to suffer and die, **IT SHOULD BE ME**!!!

"**PAAAAAUUUL!!! PAAA-HA-AAAAAL!!! NOOOO!!!"**

Summoning every last ounce of energy and raw emotion my body could spare, I threw myself at the glass barrier standing between me and my only sibling. My petrified mind and viciously pounding heart forced me to ignore the pain of having to put weight on my still badly injured knee. The throbbing pulses of agony only fuelled my repeated punching of the mirror even more as I screamed and cried to see Paul again. My eyes began to flood with warm tears as I realized no matter how hard I hit it, I hadn't even made a dent in this mirror yet. I'd been hitting it hard enough to cause actual damage to my hands. I could feel them begin to bruise and swell over as each strike made it's own distinctive thud upon the slick surface of the mirror. It was like glass made out of steel! Just what hole in hell did these people first crawl out of?!?

My pummeling of the mirror began to soften as I could feel the adrenaline in my veins begin to fade away. With my new re-surge of strength spent, the previous misery I mentioned before returned with an awful vengeance. It was like every sensation of pain I'd ever felt before was transferred into my right knee all at once, causing me to double over on the ground, with one hand clutching my knee, and the other clutching the mirror.

In the chaos that consumed me, I turned my head around just enough to see Jason and Tommy staring at me with genuinely sad expressions on their faces. They didn't seem to know whether they should help me back up, or to turn back around and find Paul before we all got out of here together. I made it clear to both of them what I wanted out of them, as my final request to them as my best friends on the entire planet!

I managed to squeak out the request admist my now sore throat, and dimming vision as a result of the blood loss I've suffered, in addition to the endless pain that just won't leave me be even for a second.

"**_P-... Please... just f-find him... and g-get yourselves out of... h-here_**."

The two of them looked at each other, it seemed they both were on the verge of crying and losing all hope. Just when I thought I couldn't be in anymore pain than I'm already in! Jason and Tommy were both some of the most confident, cheerful, and up-right people I'd ever known. They were afraid of practically nothing, which made them clash somewhat with my more passive, cautious nature. I suppose that's why we ultimately made for great friends though! We've always been there for each other ever since the 2nd grade, whether it be helping with homework, practicing skate-boarding, defending each other from bullies, and so on. They've admitted to me before I helped bail them out of trouble on more than one ocassion, but I can't say they haven't done the same for me in the past. To see them come so close to breaking down like this just makes me feel even worse than I already do, but I can't let that distract them from finding Paul and getting out of here!

"We'll find him Stewart don't you worry, but we're still not leaving this place without you. You'd better remember that... **_you hear me?!?_**"

I would have offered a rebuttal, but the pain I'm in is just too great to bother with it right now. I gently nodded my now light as a feather head as I regarded them one last time... there go my best friends in the world. They're willing to risk their own lives just to save my brother, and therefore clean up the mess which I ended up starting in the first place. With all this being said, if I wasn't already sure this was the end of me, these recent events all but set it in stone. The only thing missing was my official signature on the dotted line, but I can picture a marked tombstone was just as good as anything else.

Well... at least now I can get some shut-eye as I contemplate all my failures up until this point.

"_Hey! We just want to find our friend so we can get out of here already! We're already scared half to death, what else do you want from us?!?"_

_"There's a 10 year old kid from our group that's lost__! Just let us find him and we'll all leave immediately! To hell with candy, we just wanna go home already!"_

.._. _You _can't _be serious right now.

Are the words "lay off" even in their vocabulary?!? I know Gomez said neither Pugsley or Wednesday would show us any mercy upon getting caught, but this is insane!! I can't let either of them stop Jason and Tommy though, not before they can find Paul, and get him back to safety!

Though my body is extremely worn out, and the fact is I'm in more pain than I've ever been in before, I _have _to get to where they are! Slowly, I placed my left hand on the dust filled rug I was currently writhing in pain on, and begun to inch myself a bit toward the beginning of the next hall-way. Every waking muscle or nerve ending within me cried out all at once to just stop and leave it be, but I can't let Wednesday and Pugsley stop my friends from saving Paul. If they need a sacrifice so damn badly, they can have their fills of me instead!

I used my right arm to shift my body to the left, to avoid putting weight on my injured knee pointlessly. That would at least make the small trip to getting there a bit less painful. I then threw my right arm out in front of me, so I could use both hands to drag myself forward as much as possible. My left leg gave me a little extra push as it forced my body forward a fair amount, combined with my 2 hands and one good leg, I was making actual progress somehow. Thankfully, we were about half way down the hall-way when that mirror slammed down in front of Paul, so getting to the end of it shouldn't take more than a minute or so if I can just hurry.

I made it to the end of the hall-way just in time to see Jason and Tommy getting cornered by Wednesday and Pugsley. I could see them taking up a defensive stance as they looked ready to fight both of them if need be, but I could tell they were now scared out of their damned wits. Just like I pointed out earlier, Wednesday and her brother showed off the fact they could use weapons, and they both faced my friends with weapons in hand. Pugsley had a large, sharp, but almost glistening silver axe from what looked like the middle ages. It seemed to be in pristine condition, as even with such limited light, it shined and practically sparkled in the small amounts of light given off from the windows.

Wednesday herself still had her crossbow like from before, only this time the tips of the arrows looked as though they were lit on fire. Just the thought of what they both had in mind for my friends was enough to make me retch! With my right hand, I reached out to the wall next to me, and started to pound on it with all my remaining strength. My hands were still bruised over and had begun to swell a bit, but the pain I'm in doesn't even compare to what Jason, Tommy, and most importantly Paul will suffer if I can't buy time for them.

Much to my luck, Wednesday and Pugsley took their attentions off my friends, and re-directed it squarely on me instead. Slowly, they started to approach me, just as I wanted them to. Now that they're coming my way, I just need to lure them away from where Jason and Tommy are, so that they can use the distraction to find Paul, and finally leave this hell hole! As far as I'm concerned, the closer they are to me, the more time that gives Jason and Tommy to find Paul.

I used the same method for dragging myself as I did before, and I can only thank whatever might be out there for allowing me to buy time for my friends to get away. I continued to drag myself all the way back to the glass barrier standing between me and Paul, finally giving into pain and fatigue as my right knee was still aching despite me not putting too much weight on it. My hands felt like someone had stuck in a pump, and rapidly increased their size to the point of them bursting. My right knee's agonizing pulsing and sensations seemingly joined into one in order to become the most painful thing I'd ever experienced before, and at this rate ever will.

However, beyond even the most gruesome of my physical pain right now, my greatest suffering was the fact I failed my little brother in every way an elder can do so. At least Jason and Tommy can hopefully bring him home safely, but the reality is he wouldn't even be here right now if it weren't for me. I've always had a bad habit of caving into his demands, even if it ended up causing trouble for me. That said, there's nothing more I can do for anyone right now, not when I have 2 blood-lusted, delinquents forcing me into a wall like a vicious predator to helpless prey.

With my head against the mirror, Wednesday slowly walked her way over to me, her crossbow more omnious than ever as it could easily end me with just one shot in my present state. I could only shut my eyes as tightly as I could as I had no way out of this situation, and truthfully I don't believe I deserve one either.

As I embraced the darkness that my eye lids provided, I could begin to see the events of that nightmare playing out all over again. Suddenly, it all seemed to make sense within this moment! My right knee getting injured just as it had in the dream, Wednesday omniously cornering me as she is now, and finally Paul being forced to run off while I stayed behind. I'd probably have soiled myself long before now if I weren't completely exhausted, but at this point considering the suffering I'm already in, they're basically doing me a favor to be perfectly frank.

Having said that.. there was _one _thing about the dream that stands out more than anything else at the moment. It was just one, single question delivered in a tone that could be considered barely above a whisper... and it said.

"... **_Are you scared_**?"

That one question, as cryptic and sinister as it was at that time, was now the only thing my sub-conscious seemed interested in repeating. It echoed around in my brain constantly like a chorus of obnoxious birds chirping when someone takes a nasty blow to the head. I couldn't get it to stop!! It even dulled the pain somewhat in my right knee as it begun to take over what remained of my attention for the moment.

However, as maddening as it is to hear right now, I can't help but feel it's attempting to convey a deeper meaning here. Is this a sign that I've finally conquered my fear? Is the knowledge that I'm about to die proof that I've discovered what it means to have true courage? I guess there's no harm in testing that theory right about now. I'm about to lose the only thing that I have left to offer, so I might as well make a statement about it in the process.

Willing myself to open my eyes for one last time, I could feel every waking inch of my body jump awake as Wednesday's lifeless, icy stare was now almost nose to nose with me. I felt panic, fear, and perhaps just a slight hint of bashfulness at the fact a girl about my age was now staring me down eye to eye. This is it then... now or never. If I really do have anything even remotely resembling a spine, now's my chance to prove it to the one person I've feared since the day I first met her.

Just as all the times that came before it... no sound whatsoever from her. She only _stared_... was that her way of communicating? Were there no words that could do justice to explain just how throughly dead I am? Whatever the case, her deafening silence gave me all the time I needed to impart one final truth...

"_N-... No, I'm not... **not anymore**_."

With that last uttering of strength, my body and mind gave in all at once to the culmination of pain and fatigue. In one instant, I could still make out Wednesday's face and emotionless expression, and now in the next... I couldn't even feel anything at all.

"_Ohh darling! How's the poor boy __faring?_"

"_Though his wound was quite messy, the treatment Grandmama__ administered should be enough to keep his condition stable. That young man is unlike any individual his age, the likes of which I believed never could have even existed! He's truly a rare find indeed, and one this world could use more of these days."_

I'd awoken to find myself strapped to some kind of table. If what the 2 voices I'd overheard just now were anything to go by, my guess is an operating table. My eyes were pointed directly above me to see nothing but a small lighting fixture overlooked by pure darkness. The shock and realization that I'm in fact alive, and NOT dead is either yet another miracle, or a sinister omen at what true suffering awaits for me.

With myself strapped onto the table, I'm clearly not going anywhere right now, so I might as well look around the room itself. From the sides around me, I could make out a couple of desks with notes about complex chemical studies that I have no hope in hell of interpreting. By looking straight ahead, I could see odd substances flowing through long glass tubes of sorts, and lastly a large computer lay against one of the walls.

The room didn't have much about it that stood out beyond that. It's walls were made out of concrete and seemed to be uncared for, which might explain why they've started to mold over. It's pretty obvious to me now I'm in some kind of laboratory, but the decor otherwise makes it look like a type of bomb shelter one made for the basement. It looks like a quick death was just too much to ask for, well as long as Jason, Tommy, and Paul somehow magically made it out of here alive and well, at least I can die with no regrets.

I forced myself to look at my now restrained body, only to find my costume was removed and that I'm now in my regular clothes. To my greatest shock yet though, I could clearly see my right knee was now tightly bandaged up and no longer bleeding, though the bandages themselves were stained partially with my own blood.

As ridiculous as the idea seemed, all of this could only conclude one possible outcome...

They... _saved me_, but why?

Before I could even begin to wonder how I'd cheated death once again, my ears began to pick up the sound of foot-steps coming closer to the lab I've been kept in for presumably a while now. My immediate reaction was to panic, but looking at things rationally, it's pretty obvious I'd either be dead, or in _far _worse shape than I'm in now if their intentions were malicious. It's not like I could fight back even if I wasn't strapped to a table at the moment, hell I couldn't even run if that were the case! I have no idea why they're extending this courtesy to me right now, but I have literally every reason to be grateful for it all the same.

The shadow of the figure that approached the room had scraggly hair, and a kind of "witch" like demeanor. Her shadow showed off a long, narrow, almost boney nose, and her mouth was curved into a wicked grin that seemed to signal a cliched, evil cackle was coming. Whoever it was didn't seem to be laughing, but I could make out the sounds of conversation between them and another person. At any rate, given how close they were to me, I'd be getting an answer as to why I'm not 6 feet under right now.

The figure emerged from the corner of the hall-way, and made her presence be known with a white surgical mask, and rubber gloves. The mask in question made it hard to tell whether or not she was happy at the fact I'm now conscious, but judging by the fact she's wearing these things at all, I can only assume she was the one that fixed me up. That explains what those people from earlier were talking about when they said "Grandmama".

"Hee-Hee-Hee!! So glad to see you're awake dear child!!! Do be careful as you walk however, I'm afraid you are yet to be fully healed."

Upon closer inspection, I started to take in some asthetic details about my mysterious, if a bit eccentric savior. She wore a black witch's hat, a black dress of some kind, and had black dress shoes with black and white striped socks running down each one. I can only assume she's into throwback costumes, and doesn't actually intend to keep me alive only to conduct experiments on me. I decided to break my dizzied stupor and ask her just how I got here, and exactly who she was.

"You're the one that saved me and patched up my knee? Thank you so much! You literally saved my life! I overheard somebody mention a Grandmama from before, guess that means you're part of the family too. So are you Grandmama then?"

"Mmhmm. I'm affectionately referred to as "Grandmama" by my beloved kin, but just as a special ocassion to such a handsome and brave young lad as yourself, I shall reveal my full name to you, and to you _alone_! I am Henrietta, Eloise, Esmeralda, renowned practitioner of the mystical arts, and an undefeated master of medicinal treatments involving herbs and spices from the old country!!!"

I guess I ought to question just what she means by "mystical arts", but after the night I've had and the things I've seen, nothing short of Edward Sicssorhands falling through the ceiling, and playing a round of patty cake with Wolverine could surprise me right now. All kidding aside though, I've gotta focus on what's truly important. I'm still breathing for starters, which means Paul and the others won't have to go home alone after all. In spite of all my fears and worries, this family _isn't _in fact a deranged group of serial killers and sadists. Lastly, once I join up with Paul, Jason, and Tommy, we'll all be heading back home, and away from life threatening danger at long last.

Speaking of which, now's as good a time as any to ask where my friends and little brother are.

"Uhh, not to be rude ma'am, but would you happen to know where my friends and brother are?"

"They are both safe and well child, rest assured you have nothing to fear any longer. We gathered your friends and placed them in a special guest room for them to regain their stamina. Perhaps you have already guessed this for yourself, but the challenge had not gone exactly as Gomez and Morticia had envisioned it would. Many groups barring your own disassembled into wild frenzied brawls over greed and pragmatism. I tried to warn them the temptation of the prize was far too great for their desires to resist, but alas it was never my challenge to begin with. If you wish to learn more, Gomez and Morticia await your arrival at the house's foyer. I shall take you there now myself, please come with me!"

With just a flick of her left hand, my restraints were gone and I could freely move my body once again. As quickly as I was able to given I'm still injured, I got back to my feet and proceeded toward the door-way which she originally entered through. My right knee began to buckle a bit as I partially forgotten I was no longer laying down on a table. Seeing my struggle to walk, Grandmama rushed to my side, and wrapped her one of her arms around my waist. She then offered her right shoulder to me as a way to maintain vertical balance, which I gladly accepted.

"There's no need to force yourself anymore Stewart. We'll arrive at the Foyer as one, and you shall see the faces of your beloved friends and sibling once more."

How could I argue with a promise like that? I just let this kind, wise, elderly woman guide me through the door-way, and toward my loved ones without question or hesitation.

**A/N: Do not quote me on this naturally, but I have a feeling the next chapter will probably be the last one I churn out for this story. In spite of my creative funks and indecision on where I wanted to take it however, I throughly enjoyed myself with every last written word and development spent on it! I wholeheartedly thank those that could spare it any time or attention whatsoever. Many thanks for your viewing indulgence, peace and blessings be upon you all, and I hope to see you join us all for the (possible) finale!**


	11. An Addams Origin

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing pertaining to the Addams Family, beyond this personalized work of fiction. Thank you. :)**

We exited the lab and walked out into an underground hall-way. I say "underground" because the only details were a damp, murky atmosphere, plain brick walls that lined up both of our sides at once, and a fair amount of lumination courtesy of a few light-bulbs placed along the hall-way. It was like it was dug out by a family that lived on this land centuries before the Addamses did, but I can't say it would surprise me if they did it themselves given everything else I've seen thusly.

The pain in my right knee resurfaced as mild discomfort from putting a bit too much weight on it. I never actually got to see how severe the injury was myself, but at least the intense pain I felt from before was gone now. I can say with confidence I'm not at 100 percent at the moment, but this is pure bliss compared to what I felt from earlier.

Grandmama continued to lead me through this seemingly endless maze of tunnels. I can distinctly hear an odd dripping sound constantly in the back of the tunnels, it was just audible enough to be noticeable, but faint enough to not be too distracting. Additionally, I could also make out gentle squeaking and scurrying noises coming from both the left and the right of me at times. I was too focused on getting to see Paul and the others again that I did what I could to not let it bother me, but all the same I wouldn't appreciate anything foreign climbing up to where my bandages are right now.

After about 10 minutes of walking, we finally came upon an old, rickety looking, elevator. It was painted black, but was rusted over considerably, and it honestly looked like it would plummet under our combined weight if we stepped foot in it. That said, this may as well be a ferris wheel ride compared to what I've been through tonight, so what's one last brush with death gonna do to me?

Grandmama opened the way for us both, allowing me in first given I'm still having trouble walking on my own. She soon joined me as well in the elevator, before pushing a couple of buttons and sending us toward the upper levels of the house. I could feel a bit of a coolness as the air began to produce a breeze, loosening up the rather damp, murky, somewhat humid atmosphere from before.

I could only rejoice at the fact that not only would I soon be reunited with Paul and my best friends, but we'd also all be going home in one piece, safe and sound. We might not have won the challenge, but we'd already raided enough candy from earlier tonight to last us a good number of years with some careful pacing. Truthfully, I never cared about winning the damn thing in the first place! If my friends weren't so determined to go, I'd of gleefully blown off the whole thing, no question about it. More to the point, if I possessed even half a clue on just what lied in store for us all here, I'd of sooner chained Paul to his bed before I'd _ever _allow him to come here, escort or NO escort!!

Well, I guess that isn't entirely true. This insanity all started with those gruesome night terrors I've suffered on and off. I came here partially on behalf of my friends so I could protect them, and also to seek out some answers as to why I've been having these nightmares to begin with.

When I first met Wednesday, I can't say we exactly "hit it off", mostly because we haven't shared enough dialogue to even hold one conversation. While she's always struck me as a bit off or weird, I never gave her much thought beyond that. For the most part, I just did what I could to give her as much space as possible, and that seemed to work for a while. Lately though, she's been glaring at me more than anything else in particular. Then with her family visiting me at my house, me suffering awful nightmares, and then finally this whole hell-ride of a challenge, nothing about it really adds up. I highly doubt she's holding any kind of hidden affections for me, and after tonight I'm pretty sure I've built up enough reason to get my first restraining order filled out. All I want is to know how to make them stop, and fast! Haven't I suffered enough already?!?

At long last, the ancient elevator sputtered and clattered to a stop. From here, I could recognize the hall-way in front of us as belonging to the first floor. This was a hall-way me and Tommy past through on our way to find the others, which means from here the Foyer couldn't be too far away. The compassionate elder woman took my hand once again and carefully helped me walk my way out of the elevator. We began to make our way through the hall-way, and back out into the foyer.

I realized that I was essentially back where me and my group started. It all felt so surreal to see the foyer once again. It was almost like we stepped into another dimension when we entered that first room, never to return to the previous world again. Now with me being back here, I felt so much closer to home I was tempted to run out those doors right now. However, not only would that be most unwise considering I can't even walk without support from another right now, I _still _have a little brother and 2 best friends to collect!

Grandmama and I turned around to see Gomez and Morticia, staring down at us from the 2nd floor. They both seemed deep in thought at something, which I could only guess as to what that is. I'm not seeing a better time to ask questions given how close they are in my proximity, so I'd better start splurging when the time comes. Grandmama helped me up the steps to the best of her abilities, which admittedly was rather difficult given I'm now putting even _more _weight on an already injured area. That said, we managed to get up the stair-case at our own pace.

Finally, we both stood down Gomez and Morticia as they turned around to face us directly. Gomez himself had a stern, yet mournful look on his face, like he was about to deliver a particularly grim sort of news to a friend. Morticia looked even sadder than he did, almost like she could be driven to tears with just the right push. I know exactly what I want to ask the both of them, but I have to focus on the most important issue right now, locating Paul, Jason, and Tommy right now. Once I know they're all safe, I should be able to ask away with reckless abandon on why I've been having these nightmares for weeks.

Before either of them asked me a thing, Grandmama pat me on the back gently, and told them she'd brought me to them as requested.

"I've done all I can by him. This blessed boy is in your hands now my dears. It was a tremendous pleasure getting to make your acquaintance young Stewart!"

She regarded me one last time with such a warm smile. I couldn't help but reach out and hug her. It was thanks to her I'm even walking right now, how I could ever possibly hope to repay her is genuinely beyond me.

"Thank you ma'am... _for everything_."

She warmly returned my embrace with her own, before casually walking her way back down the steps. With Grandmama leaving me to both Gomez and Morticia, I was intimidated by both of their presences. While Morticia was alot more gentle with me when I first met the family, I couldn't quite shake off the terrifying rantings Gomez unleashed upon me within my own house. That said, he looks far more depressed about something than he does seething or insulted, which could either mean he's going to deliver a heartful apology to me, or he has some horrid news that he has to tell me.

Whatever the case might be here, I can't say I'm feeling the most comfortable at the current moment in time.

With not a word spared, Gomez turned his attention from the railing he was leaning on, to face me directly. He let out a small, but audible sigh as his eyes carried a deep sense of disappointment. It took him about a minute, but he addressed me in a far more formal and calm tone than he did back at my house.

"Greetings Stewart, it is a pleasure to be able to make your acquaintance again on our family's most holiest of days and occassions. I imagine you must be curious as to why you are still here, injured and shaken up, but still very much alive?"

He couldn't have summed up my current feelings any more accurately if he tried. I didn't really feel like answering his question as I still had a very important one of my own to ask, but it wouldn't be a smart move on my part to agitate either of these people right now. Not when they know where Paul and my friends are right now. I simply nodded my head, and allowed him to explain just why Wednesday and Pugsley didn't finish us off when they caught us.

"You see my boy... this "challenge" of ours dates back further in our family's legacy than you could even begin to imagine. Originally, it was a re-telling of the event when our ancestors, the ones that made this challenge possible, went through a horrifying ordeal that nearly cost them their very _lives_."

I hate to admit it, but I can't help but be at least somewhat intrigued at this confession from Gomez. I can't quite determine if this is his way of apologizing, or he thinks I'm worthy enough of relaying this story to. I am by all accounts, a total stranger to these people. I'm also nothing particularly special at all, hell I shouldn't even be alive right now, let alone standing up on my own 2 feet! That said, as long as they can lead me to where Paul, Jason, and Tommy are, I'm perfectly fine with hearing them out for at least a little while.

"Our family is made up of the dreads and rejects of other communities. As such, they made their livings by looting from large mansions that carried wealth or artifacts of immeasurable value. With no allegiance to anyone, no laws or boundaries to follow besides the codes they set for themselves, and not even a remote concept regarding the meaning of the word fear, they lived out their days in hedonistic bliss. They simply took as they desired, and nothing was capable of hindering their efforts in any way. That was... _until _they discovered a mansion far grander and more luxurious than any other in which they encountered before."

I'm growing more and more invested in this story as Gomez tells it, but I hope he wraps it up soon as I've still got to find Paul and my friends before I leave here. I took a quick glance at Morticia to see where she stood on this whole thing. Like I mentioned already, she looked even sadder than Gomez had earlier. Her eyes were closed, and her mouth was currently formed in a depressing frown that looked like she was trying to hold back tears with everything she had. I couldn't help but feel some degree of sympathy for her. I'd wager all the candy hidden in this mansion that she's the reason any of us are still alive right now.

I turned my attention squarely back on Gomez as he continued to delve into his family's fascinating back-story.

"Upon discovering it's existence within a small clearing in the very heart of the forest in which it sat, our ancestors were all too anxious to loot it for themselves. They thought the job would be as effortless as all the rest had been, having no earthly idea on what unholy terrors laid in wait for them upon setting foot inside. While the mansion itself was indeed abandoned, it was in fact anything but empty. Whomever inhabited it before had long since left it's premise for unknown reasons. However, what remained in the place of human contact were countless deadly traps, horrid monstrosities beyond what mere words could convey, and the horrid stench of decay from the many looters that tried as they did... and failed miserably."

"Whoah... so then their survival, and their story was what led to the inspiration for this whole challenge thing?"

Gomez managed a slight smirk, before nodding his head in the affirmative. He seemed almost proud at the fact I was able to piece together the story's purpose. Even though I'd like to find the guys and just go home already, I decided to just let him wrap it up before I pose my own question.

"Anyway, our ancestors realized there was no way they could survive the endless source of danger that surrounded them at every turn. It was then that in their fear of death, they had begun to understand that no treasure or precious valuable could exceed the innate value that is life. Upon coming to terms with this realization, they began to cut their proverbial losses and leave the mansion at once, before this latest liberation of the wealth of others, would be the last one they'd ever experience."

As I slowly took each word from Gomez's story in, I think I'm starting to get what this challenge really is. It's not just some deadly "game" they like to play every Halloween night, it's more of a test if anything else!

"As they turned their perogatives from greed to mere survival, they had stepped in to help one another when their lives were directly threatened by the many threats and dangers within the mansion itself. This allowed them to bond with each other over time, as they all understood that they shared one common goal in mind: survival, and had grown to understand that their survival depended on their collective unity and cooperation. Though their experiences within the mansion were both barbaric and mortifying, eventually they had won their freedom by outlasting the horrors of the mansion. Once they'd exited the front doors, they all breathed a sigh of collective relief over the fact that their nightmare was finally over."

"So what happened next? Did they give up looting private property and turn their lives around from that day forward?"

Gomez regarded my question with a warm chuckle, and sly smile. At least on the surface, he seemed to appreciate the sincerity of my curiosity. He began to continue the story as he'd done before.

"That wouldn't be too far from the truth, yes. You see as the legend goes, our ancestors were soon greeted by the spirit of the deceased owner of the mansion they had attempted to pillage. Although she was quite furious at how they defiled her resting place with greed and selfishness, she soon praised them for their bravery, and their learning of the fact that life has value beyond any treasure or valuable offered from this world. Once she'd finished commending them, she then rewarded their efforts by bestowing upon them the mansion in which she lived her life in. Even greater still, the inumerous horrors of the mansion transformed into the most comfortable and lavish of furniture. Then the traps they had spent the entire night avoiding fearing for their lives had turned into riches and gold beyond their wildest imaginations. One could argue that they had achieved great wealth in both material gain, as well as spiritual enrichment."

It's all beginning to make sense now! This mansion is in fact the one their ancestors were given all those centuries ago. Those descriptions from before about those monstrosities and traps within the mansion turning into riches explains why they're all so wealthy to this day as well. While I'd normally be more skeptical on the concept of riches and furniture coming from evil monsters and traps, I'm in no position to be arguing after the things I've seen tonight.

Gomez was in the process of finishing his explanations on his family's legacy, as I started to come to a breakthrough on how this challenge came to be.

"So it was from that day forward, our ancestors finally ceased their looting of the valuables from others. With the mansion in a deep, secluded, part of the forest, and nearby natural resources from which they can gather food and drink aplenty, they could live out the remainder of their lives in peace and prosperity. To show their appreciation for the lessons learned from trying to loot the mansion, they then devised a way to test other looters and theives in much the same way that they were tested. Based on that decision, the mansion of survival was born as a way to honor the experiences that they shared with others. Of course as time went on, we future generations of Addamses have adopted the old ways that reward children of all ages with candy beyond their wildest dreams, as holidays like Halloween became more commercialized in the future. This in turn is where we are now. As it's now been our turn to uphold our family's most sacred traditions, we've been holding this challenge annually every Halloween for the last 5 decades now."

He's preaching to the choir there, now isn't he? I can understand and even respect being proud of where you're from, and the traditions that come with it, but the dangers I had to go through were far beyond what I had any intention of signing up for voluntarily.

"With all due respect though... Mr. Addams, don't the horrors in each room seem a bit... _much_?"

"You are quite correct my boy, and they are deliberately so. Our ancestors were pushed to the very brinks of their reasoning, but even so they persisted and pushed onward to survival. It was only after they'd abandoned their greed and chose life, did they truly begin to appreciate what life even is to us all. As we Addamses have sworn a personal oath of responsibility and dedication, we have taken it upon ourselves to honor their memories in the most thorough way imaginable... _However_."

I wa surprised at how much emotion there was to that last word. I guess it was his way of admitting things didn't go quite as well as he would have liked. There was a genuine sadness to it's delivery, almost to the point of being shameful at what had actually gone down.

"... You _must _understand! It was never mine, nor any of our intentions to see anyone of our guests become injured. I wanted so desperately to believe that you children could have learned to value life over material gain, and that was why we promised you all with candy beyond your wildest imagination. When you saw the dangers you must survive before claiming the prize, eventually you would become more invested in merely surviving, than collecting candy, and that in turn would prompt you all to cooperate as one. With the amount of fights and betrayals that have taken place here tonight... it only serves to prove just how much of a damned _fool _I've been!"

Gomez slammed his right fist into the railing overlooking the 2nd floor. His face demonstrated a considerable amount of sorrow and guilt over how his own plan so miserably blew up in his face. To some degree, I couldn't help but feel sympathy for him. The fact that he confirmed he wasn't trying to hurt me, my little bro, my friends, or anyone else wasn't hurting matters either. He soon straightened himself out, and then opted to finish the rest of his explanation.

"Although the majority of our guests have fallen short of what I'd intended to bring about, you never stopped caring. Not even for a second did you compete for your own selfish gain! With practically every moment of your time spent here, you put the needs and safety of your friends and younger sibling before yourself. You've even risked life and limb to protect them, even at the cost of your own well being! Was there even a second you considered playing to win the prize?"

I was pretty shocked at the fact he'd ask me that, but truthfully it's not like I have anything to hide. I never even wanted to come here from the start! I only came because my friends wanted to go, and eventually Paul essentially black-mailed me into taking him with us, to pay him back for the way he helped me with the Addamses when they visited us. If I had any self-motives for coming, it would be to get an explanation for the weird visions and disturbing dreams I've been having lately, but that's about as far it goes. Of course, that was all before I had any idea of what this challenge was about. If I'd of known I would be running for my life constantly without a moment's rest, ducking and dodging things I was led to believe only existed in cheesy monster movies and B rate horror flicks, I might of just got myself grounded purposely!

"Well... to be honest sir, I mostly came here because my friends really wanted to go. My little brother Paul also threatened to get me grounded if I didn't bring him along for the ride as well. I went just to make sure they would be safe, to protect them in any way I possibly could. That also goes for Paul too of course, you see Paul means alot to me, more than I could ever hope to put into words. We may argue alot, and it's rare we ever agree on much of anything, but he's still family. He's _still _my little brother! I couldn't forgive myself if something had happened to him that I could have stopped. In fact, if I'd known just how serious you guys were being when you said survival, I probably would have chained him to his bed before ever letting him come here tonight, heh! The only self motivation I could have for coming here is... _well_, it's sort of difficult to explain."

I paused for a second to reclaim some lost breath after explaining my reasons for attending this challenge. Gomez seemed to be genuinely curious at what I'd stated last however, and began to question me on what I was getting at here.

"Whatever do you mean? Were you simply curious at to what our home looked like... or did you wish to see my daughter Wednesday again?"

A warm, clear, blush formed on my cheeks as while Gomez wasn't entirely wrong, he didn't quite understand what I was getting at either. I would have been more annoyed at the fact someone assumed I had a crush on a person I haven't even held down a single conversation with, but I can't afford to be distracted from what really matters right now!

"Well... you see, while I wouldn't say I came here to see Wednesday, the reason does concern her all the same. I've been having these weird hallucinations whenever I'm by myself on a typical day. They never last for very long, but everytime they form the same, omnious, shadowy, figure that's shaped alot like Wednesday herself. Then ontop of that, I've also had these awful nightmares where I walk through poorly lit streets beyond my control. I always end up in the same place every time, in front of an old, deteriorating, mansion which reminds me alot of your own home actually. No offense or anything like that!"

Gomez and Morticia looked at each other with surprisingly bright smiles on their faces, before looking back at me and simultaneously replying with a simple phrase. They were almost gleeful about it in fact, which isn't something you'd normally associate with them whatsoever.

"None taken!!"

If I can admit anything about them I admire, at least they don't try to hide whom they really are. That takes guts, which not many people have in spades exactly. Regardless, I continued explaining my predicament to them, hoping to get even one decent answer out of it.

"Anyway, when I arrive at the mansion, I'm usually noticed by some weird, human-like figure wearing all black. She dances by the tombstones toward the right of the mansion, before disappearing behind the tombstones. Then I slowly follow to where she disappeared to, only to find myself in the back yard of the mansion, where my little brother Paul is tied to a stake, crying and begging me to free him."

While the both of them were more or less flippant at the situation I was describing to them, they seemed to be taking me a bit more seriously when I mentioned what happens to Paul in these dreams. They both gave me a concerned stare and worried look as I began to delve into the more disturbing details of the nightmares I've been having non-stop.

"I do so immediately of course, then I run off with him to leave the mansion as quickly as we can. Every time I almost leave the mansion though, I end up tripping and hurting my right knee. I then tell Paul to go on without me, which he does so while sobbing. Then, the human-like figure I mentioned before reveals itself as Wednesday, and slowly walks her way toward me. With my right knee hurt and myself completely exhausted, I'm in no position to run away, let alone defend myself. She then slowly drags me by one of my ankles to the back yard of the mansion, where a medieval style torture rack is waiting for me. Despite my pleas and begging for mercy, she straps me into it, and proceeds to ask me whether or not I'm scared, before pulling a crank which then leads to me waking up every time."

They both seemed a mixture of confused, concerned, and were struggling to decide on a proper answer to give me. They began quietly muttering to each other, presumably on what to say regarding what I'd just confessed to them. With how many times this awful nightmare has persisted throughout the weeks leading up to tonight, it only seems natural I can reiterate it's events detail by detail at this point. As great as it would be to hear why this has happened, and how to stop them from happening, I'd be way more relieved to see the faces of Paul, Jason, and Tommy right now.

"If it's not too much trouble, I'm more interested in knowing where friends and little brother are at the moment. Could you please just take me to where they are?"

Gomez and Morticia both snapped out of their personal dialogues with each other, and turned around to face me once again. Gomez soon put his left hand on my right shoulder as he gestured to the hall-way overlooking where they were standing.

"Ahh! Yes yes of course, we'll lead you to them right now. I can assure you, they're all quite safe and content where they are presently."

With this, they both began to lead me down the hall-way, which had many familiar details I've become pretty used to seeing by this point. Some old, gothic style, antique furniture, a couple of old, dusty mirrors with visible smudges, and some large portraits of various figures, presumably of their ancestors which they've mentioned a few times by now. Along the way to where the rest of my group was, I couldn't help but wonder why Gomez and Morticia didn't just lay down some ground rules so that groups couldn't fight one another for keys or whatever, for fear of being disqualified.

"If there's one thing I still can't seem to work out, it's why you didn't just make it so groups couldn't fight each other over keys and stuff. Why not just disqualify any participating groups or players that fight amongst themselves, or try to steal keys from rival groups or players?"

Gomez's formerly happy expression was again twisted into a depressing frown. He briefly shook his head a couple of times, before giving me a solemn answer to my question.

"You are correct once again, but while that might have made for a safer outcome, what exactly would it have proven? It could have resulted in less fights and betrayals such as what happened to your own group inevitably, but the children in question would have learned nothing in the process. They would merely be following the rules as a means to not lose the game and claim the prize, rather than any sort of loyalty to their comrades, let alone moral decency amongst themselves. This lesson is one the individual, or group of individuals must learn themselves. It cannot be directly instructed, but it may be prompted given certain conditions or circumstances. I was warned of course that this might back-fire, but my own pride and dedication toward upholding family traditions led me to believe otherwise."

As Gomez's words began to sink in, I saw his expression once again shrivel into a saddened grimace. He really was taking this thing hard, like some kind of deep, personal, failure he couldn't justify to himself. Morticia's own expression closely mirrored Gomez's, but she began to brighten up a bit as she tried to speak some words of encouragement to her husband.

"_Ohh _darling, no one is as hard on themselves as you are. Even if he is only 1 person, I believe this young man has been most essential in proving your point. Let us not forget some of his other friends also rallied behind him as well. As he stepped into save them, they would go onto honor his bravery eventually!"

In spite of everything I willingly put myself through on behalf of my friends and little bro, I think Gomez is a good man. He's clearly eccentric, but his heart's in the right place even if his methods are... "questionable", suffice it to say. In an act of good will, I decided to join Morticia in cheering up the unorthodox, but well meaning family man to the best of my immediate abilities.

"She's right sir! Not that I'm anything special myself, but I do value the lives of everyone who's important to me, even more than my own life! If you ask me, what really matters is your intentions, and I think you've got noble ones to be sure!"

Gomez's expression seemed to perk up at what I'd just told him, granting me a burst of relief as I seem to be doing a decent job at keeping the peace so far. Now don't get me wrong, I'm nowhere near as on edge or unsettled by this family as I was since the beginning, but that doesn't mean I can just rest easy right now. I've gotta find my boys, somehow get us all back home safe and soundly, and THEN spend the majority of my weekend sleeping like a baby. The second I reach my bed, I'm essentially hibernating until school begins again on Monday.

Anyway, after moving up a few more flights of stairs, we finally reached the 4th floor. Gomez and Morticia quickly darted ahead of me to continue leading me to where my little brother and friends were. They walked down the hall-way and stopped about a 1/3rd of the way through, stepping to the side of the door-way of the room which had to be the one my friends were in!

Without even thinking about things, I charged down the hall-way to greet Paul and the others face to face. I couldn't believe what was about to happen! Not only was I still alive, I was about to see the faces of my friends and little bro once again! I did my best to hold back my rising emotions from clouding my reason. There should be plenty of time for mushy sentimentality after we've all returned home.

Once I reached the door, the first thing that greeted me was the smiling face of Paul. He met my embrace head-on with his own as we shared an emotional reunion. My arms firmly locked around his back as did his arms around my own as I attempted to convey to him, that at least for this moment in time, all was right with the world, and everything was going to be okay. It's the least anybody should be expected to do for someone they truly care about, at least in my opinion.

"I thought you were _dead_... **_I thought I lost you, damn it!_**"

"The feeling's more mutual than you'll ever know, little brother."

We gave our hug a good 5 minutes or so, before finally breaking apart. Once I got a hold of my emotions again, I gently asked Paul how Jason and Tommy were holding up.

"How are the boys doing? You been annoying them the whole way through?"

"What, you getting jealous or something? They're holding up just fine bro. After we got separated, I was found by this old looking, bald headed, pale guy. He was wearing this large black cloak that covered his entire body, and was missing some of his teeth. He was a weird dude to be sure, but he led me back to this room where I met up with Jason and Tommy again. Then they told me how Wednesday and Pugsley brought the both of them here first, right after you passed out that is. We never stopped thinking about you, even after we all met up here and were forced to wait. How's your knee doing right now actually? Any better than before?"

"It's still kinda sore, but at least I can walk on it without any trouble now. I'm more concerned with getting us all back home at the moment. Let's go back in and greet the guys, and then we'll all be on our way back home. Sound like a plan to you?"

Paul gave me his trademark mischeivous smile, before responding to my offer in kind.

"I never thought these words would leave my lips, but I couldn't agree more with you. Let's do it Stewart!"

With a fist bump shared amongst blood brothers, we went right in to greet Jason and Tommy whom were currently sitting on a bed with a pitch-black bed spread. The room itself looked like a guest room that flew straight out of the Addamses imaginations alright. It had old walls with peeling paint and noticeable holes within places. There were plastic bats hanging on a chandlier, which twirled about aimlessly on the candles which had been long since burnt out and melted. A couple of windows toward the left wall, which overlooked the rest of the mansion itself, granting the person in question the best view of the mansion from this height. A medium sized TV sitting directly opposite of the bed itself, which looked about 10 years out of date, and a closet toward the right wall of the room. It was nothing too out of the ordinary, but considering whom the Addamses are, it's debatable if that word even applies here.

Upon noticing us, Jason and Tommy practically flew off their positions from the center of the bed, and landed feet first in the center of the room itself. They embraced me as well, followed by Paul whom seemed as glad as I was that we were all going to be alright after all. Just as before, we gave our group hug a good 5 minutes of time, before splitting apart and getting into the details about each of our respective survivals.

"Stewart!! Dude, we were all so worried about you! Did Wednesday and Pugsley save you guys as well? All I can remember before we got separated was you distracting Wednesday and Pugsley long enough for us to get away. They caught up to us eventually after we got lost in the maze even more, but that was still a ballsy move on your part man! You're alot braver than you give yourself credit for."

I was getting a bit overwhelmed by all that was going on, but I managed to keep myself focused on the task at hand. I answered Jason's question to the best of my abilities, before getting us out of this room, and onward to the sanctity of our homes.

"Honestly, I don't remember all that much after passing out. I just remember Wednesday and Pugsley cornered me at the end of that weird mirror wall thing, and then I fainted out of sheer exhaustion. When I came to, I was in the basement of their mansion, lying down helplessly on some weird operating table. From there, I met the grandma of the family, who in turn is the reason I'm even capable of standing up right by now. After she explained the situation to me, and how you guys were all safe, she led me back up to the foyer again, where I met Gomez and Morticia again. They explained to me the history of the challenge and what it's true purpose is. Then, they led me all the way back up here, to where you guys are! Did they ever check in with you, or have you all been here alone this whole time?"

"Nah, they haven't visited us even once since we were brought up here. I guess they were busy checking out the other guests in the mean time... anyway enough about that! What are we gonna do about Bobby and Marcus? You know Bobby tried to basically murder you AND Paul at the same time, right? Marcus then ran off with him, which then left us to carry you off to safety by ourselves pretty much."

I know the entire story by heart at this point, and I'm no less enraged at what Bobby tried to do to Paul than I was back then. That said, all the anger and righteous fury in the world isn't gonna get us all home safely in one piece. I'd have more than enough time to think up a way to get even with Bobby at least once we're all back home. I can't allow my emotions to take priority over what's truly important right now, not when the well being of the people I care for is at risk!

"Believe me dude, I want to get even with those back-stabbing, scum as much as anyone, but we can't focus on that. We've got to work on a way to get us all back home right now. I don't have the foggiest on how I'll be explaining why I've been gone from home for hours on end to my folks, but I guess that one's on me for agreeing to come here to begin with. As for you and Tommy, I'd suggest you both start brain-storming an explanation as soon as possible, otherwise we're all looking at grounded until the day we leave for college status by tomorrow morning."

They all collectively perked up at that statement as we'd all completely forgotten the people waiting for us at home, admist all the chaos throughout the night. I wasn't in any panic as even getting grounded was preferable over what could have happened tonight. This fear's been in the back of my mind since the moment everyone but me made the decision to come here, but I really could have lost everything tonight. My brother, my friends, and even my own life, but somehow we managed to see this challenge through in the end. If that's not a sign of divine intervention, or some kind of cosmic, "something or other" that decided I was just way too much fun to let die so soon, I don't think I'm meant to know what is.

Before I could continue the conversation, Gomez suddenly burst into the room with news about where we'd all be going from here.

"Ahh, my dear guests!! My sincerest gratitude with all your patiences so far. I merely wished to inform you all that we've decided to reward your courageous efforts this night! Though you all might not have succeeded in winning the challenge, your actions tonight have helped realize the true purpose of what this game was meant to bring out. For me at least, there is no greater victory or honor to be had than that. As such, we will lead you toward our secret vault where all the candy we promised you from the beginning lie dormant inside!"

I myself couldn't care less at this point at ever being promised candy or sweets for the rest of my days. That of course, didn't stop Jason, Tommy, or even Paul from nearly fainting at the thought of getting to indulge in candy none of us ever even knew existed. I could even see Jason's mouth begin to water at the idea, just goes to show what _really _matters in the end... apparently?

Anyway, Jason and Tommy immediately dashed ahead to follow Gomez out of the room, and back out into the hall-way. Paul started to chase right after them, but not before stopping to notice I wasn't doing the same right behind him.

"You coming with or what? Don't tell me you're too moral to accept a little snack after what we've all been through."

That's my brother for you, as self-indulgent as ever. I guess I'd have to be delusional to expect this event would have squashed any of that out of him, but then I suppose I'd be out of a job as big brother. At any rate, I have personal business at hand with Wednesday, which is far more important than me stuffing my face with candy right now.

"Flattering, but nah you guys can go on ahead. Feel free to save me any spare bits and pieces you don't want though, like we both know you will."

Paul looked genuinely surprised at my honest answer, but barely gave it any thought before shrugging his shoulders and replying in earnest.

"Suit yourself man, and uhhh... _no promises, by the way._"

He gave me a cocky grin, but I could tell by the look in his eyes that there was something akin to "brotherly love" by it. It's not much, but I can tell our relationship is somehow stronger than what it was before. He soon ran off to join the others, shortly afterward. With the others out of the way, now I can concentrate on getting some concrete answers for the hallucinations and nightmares I've been having.

I slowly made my way outside the room, and into the hall-way, where I was cordially greeted by Gomez and Morticia once again. They looked confused as to why I hadn't ran off with the others to get my proverbial sweet tooth on, but this is probably the best shot I'm going to get right now for answers. I can't allow myself to be distracted from this anymore!

"Ohh Stewart! Not to impede your well deserved reward, but while you and your loved ones were catching up, our daughter had found us in the hall-way. She stated to us both that she seeks an audience with you personally. I understand completely if you rather join with your friends in claiming your prize instead."

This couldn't have happened at a better time. They don't seem to realize that I've been wanting to talk to Wednesday since I got here. The fact that she too wants to talk with me as well just means we'll all be heading home alot sooner, which is truthfully the best news I've received all night.

"That's great Mr. Addams! I was actually going to talk to her myself, while my friends went off to check out the candy. Where can I find her?"

Gomez said nothing, but gave me a mischievous smirk as he pointed to a door toward the wall at his back. It had the initials "WP" on it's center in black ink. I guess she wants to talk to me in her bedroom then. It'd be more private no doubt, but also a bit... "intimate" for my tastes. That said, the sooner I can settle this, the sooner it means we'll be heading for home after the others have had their fill of sweets.

I flashed a thumbs up toward both Gomez and Morticia as they both gave me a surprisingly playful smirk, whilst holding back some audible giggles and laughter in the process. It was like they were setting me up for the mother of all pranks, but I don't think anyone can disagree that we've all had more than enough fun and games for one night. I couldn't resist asking them just what it was they were cracking up about.

"Is... everything okay Mr and Mrs Addams?"

"Heh, oh nothing my good lad, nothing at all! We just both sincerely hope you have an... _interesting _time with our daughter."

Morticia's arm was wrapped around Gomez as she used her husband's frame to balance herself. Her own grin rivalled his as she replied, mirroring Gomez's own words closely enough.

"That's Addams talk for... _have fun_!"

_Oooooookaaaaaaaay_...

**A/N: I have decided to extend the length of the story by at least one more chapter for the present time. You can expect the full-length of Stewart's final discussion with Wednesday in firm detail in the next chapter, and any other loose ends within the story to be tied up there. As always, an endless amount of thanks and appreciation go out toward anyone whom could be bothered to give this story even a passing glance. Peace and blessings be upon all, and till next time! :)**


	12. Talking To Fear

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing pertaining to the Addam****s family, beyond this personalized work of fiction. Thank you. :)**

That might have been the most awkward 30 seconds of my life, which considering who's room I'm setting foot into should really be saying something. I'm not sure what to expect from all this, but the sooner I can get my answers, the sooner we can just put this whole mess behind us. Of course in reality, I'd be delusional in expecting this wouldn't be even more awkward than both of the 2 adults giggling and laughing like somebody my own age.

Anyhow, I opened the door to be greeted by a room that I could only describe as belonging to Pugsley... yeah, that name really fits here to be frank.

The first thing I noticed was an overpowering stench of decay and musk, like the wood holding it together hadn't been changed for at least a decade or so. I could clearly make out the materials had been throughly warped with time, and some obvious signs of mold could be spotted periodically on various planks and boards. There were a strangely large number of traffic signs and STOP signs to be found on the walls in the room, and a bright, red one could be found directly above Pugsley's bed, overlooking the headboard of his otherwise medium sized, ordinary looking bed. I noticed some crudely made tables at some of the room's walls, which had various chemical sets infusing several concoctions together at once, of virtually all different colors.

I managed to regain my sense of awareness long enough to gently close the door behind me. I then took my first few steps forward inside what I could only assume as Pugsley's side of the bedroom. I immediately jumped back in fright as I nearly tripped over what looked to be a bear trap that lay right in the center of the room. Upon a closer inspection, I could clearly make out a rabbit was firmly caught within it's razor sharp, maw. I also made out a small amount of white stuffing protruding from the rabbit's clothed abdomen, easing my growing nerves by a fair amount. At least it wasn't a real rabbit, thank God.

Once I side-stepped the potential disaster awaiting me in the center of the room, I had a better look at the other features that were out of my notice given my previous position. There was what looked like the wooden door to a closet toward the right corner of the room itself, though it was closed leaving it's contents a total mystery to me, and most likely for the better. I could make out various posters of different horror movies and some heavy metal bands on the door, as well as much of the other walls I couldn't properly analyze from before. The horror movie content spanned across different eras from the 50s, and finally ending with the 80s such as Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, the Halloween series, and even Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The musical stuff consisted of popular acts like Metallica, Slayer, Korn, and Iron Maiden, along with a few other bands that I'm not at all familiar with.

Having taken all of these details in, I decided to stop beating around the bush, and just focus on the task of finding Wednesday, and finally getting some answers here. Just as I began to reach the next door that had a large "W" on it, I could feel something plastic hit me in the face whilst dangling. I briefly grimaced in disgust as I recognized that these were entrails, albeit plastic ones which dangled from the chandlier above my head. This final detail of the room gave me all the inspiration I could ever ask for in rushing through the next door to reach Wednesday's room. I had a solid grip on the door knob, and prepared to turn it when a low, somewhat sleepy voice called out to me from the right of the room itself.

"You lost?"

I felt my heart jump all at once into my throat, when I turned my head at it's side to see Pugsley comfortably secured in his bed. He had on some black pajamas with small, blood red, moons shown across the front and back, which reached his lower body as well. Instead of the normally agitated or borderline hateful look he's usually given me, his expression seemed a bit bored more than anything else, like he just wanted to enjoy a good night's sleep, and my mere presence distracted him from this singular goal. I wanted nothing more than to peacefully get out of his way, which in turn made the following reply all too easy to speak up about.

"Ohh hey! Sorry uhh, Pugsley right? I'm just hear to talk to Wednesday about something before I call it a night. This door leads to her bedroom, right?"

Pugsley's disinterested expression started to perk up a bit more at the mentioning of his sister's name. He began to look at me with a little more suspicion to his gaze as he seemed completely confused as to why I'd want to see her again.

"Provided that's _all_ you're going to be doing, you can do as you like. It's only fair to warn you though; if she won't talk to me, her own flesh and blood, what makes you think you've got a chance in hell?"

"I guess I can't argue with that, but all I can say is what I have to ask her is of the utmost importance. Whether or not she accepts is another matter all together, but I suppose that's my problem in the end."

His expression told me he couldn't really argue with what I'd said, which suited me just fine as talking about this is just a blatant waste of time. He simply pointed his right index finger at the door in front of me, but imparted one last piece of advice before I went on my way.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

Once again, I couldn't reasonably debate with that point at all, so I just nodded my head in agreement and understanding, before widely opening the door in front of me.

The very first feature to catch my notice was the overwhelming presence of inky, darkness that covered the room at every corner. It was so dark that I couldn't even make out any objects or details about it, let alone the figure of another living thing inside of it. I began to wonder to myself whether or not Wednesday had just decided to turn in for the night, which while an inconvenience for me as I still had some questions that needed answering, gave me a chance to get everyone home even sooner than expected.

While barely giving it a single thought, I turned my back around to exit when I was suddenly greeted by the rather full face of Pugsley. I figured he would have turned his back and went to bed, but now here he was, staring me down dead in the eyes, with a somewhat annoyed expression on his face.

He dryly muttered a pretty straight-forward question after backing up a bit.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh! I was just gonna leave since Wednesday's room is completely dark. I figured she wanted to call it a night since it's pretty late right now after all, so I was going to head home with my friends and-"

"Uh huh... _sure you were_. Wednesday! You've got company that wants to speak with you."

Well, at least I'll be able to get this all out of the way. I just wish I could have resolved things without having to make the trip over here, but I'd like to think even things like this have to happen for _some _reason.

"Thanks man. You're a pretty cool d-"

Before I even had enough time to process what was happening, Pugsley gave me a good, firm, two handed shove causing me to practically fly backwards into the blackened, depths of the room itself. My vision went completely blank as I was now engulfed in total darkness, with not so much as a dot of light to be found. I painfully landed on my rear as I realized that I was now in the room of the person I feared more than anything else, without company, with no way to defend myself, and worst of all, with no vision whatsoever!!!

Besides a mild surge of pain and discomfort, I immediately flew to my feet in an effort to rush my way out of the room, before something less than pleasant were to happen to me. I had no idea why Pugsley would just shove me like that, but before I could get a chance to ask him, he quickly shut the door in my face, causing me to slam nose-first into it. Frantically, I latched both of my hands onto the door knob to pry open the wooden barrier that stood between us both, but Pugsley held it tight, far too tight for anything I'd be able to muscle up. While we were both about the same in height, he was far stockier than I was, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn if he had about 50 pounds of weight on me. I've always been a bit on the scrawny side, and right now is an unfortunate side effect of not bulking up enough.

"Hey, what gives?!? I just wanted to be polite and let her sleep for the night!! You didn't have to shove me around like that!!!"

"What's the matter Stewart? You've managed to survive a dark cavern, a monstrous green-house, an avalanche within a frozen tundra, and even an explosive pumpkin patch, but my sister is still the thing that scares you the most? I thought you said you weren't afraid anymore, or did you just say that because you thought we'd be so impressed by your "courage", we'd let you and your friends live?"

Why the hell was he doing this?!? I didn't survive a night in hell just to be trapped in a room with someone that I've went out of my way to avoid. This doesn't make any sense! Was all this just to lure me into a false sense of security? Whatever the reason was, all I know is I've got to bust out of this place at any cost, find Paul and my friends, and then get us all the hell back home!!!

"Just what the fuck is your problem man?!? Haven't I been petrified enough for one night? All I want to do is go home already, so LET ME OUT OF HERE!!!"

"No! Until you prove your words to my sister weren't just a sad little plea for your life, you aren't going anywhere I'm afraid. If you really want to see your friends and brother again, you're gonna have to hold down an actual discussion with her, in her own room, and preferably with no funny business in mind!! I'll be keeping guard at the door so I can hear every word of it!"

This is either the most cliched twist in horror movie history, or somebody is trying to play the absolute cruelest prank I've ever personally suffered. I had a feeling I was being set up for something like this, even before I set foot in the room, but this just wasn't fair! What does he even mean by "prove what I said" to her? I'm not an especially brave kid even by generic standards. I just happen to care about the people that are important to me more than my own life. If I was actually aware of the fact that they weren't planning on killing me, I probably would have just passed out on the spot, with not a word in edge wise.

Regardless, he seems pretty set on me proving my words weren't just a glorified bluff. It's not like I wasn't planning to speak to Wednesday in the first place, but doing so in the middle of a pitch-black room isn't exactly what I'd call an ideal location. I'm also in no condition to force this door open, seeing as how I can't overpower Pugsley, and it wouldn't be a smart move to charge at it with my knee in the condition it's still in. Even if there was some way I could miraculously force it open, what good would it do if I can't properly defend myself against the kid standing against it?

Sighing heavily, I turned my back to face the endless abyss of darkness that overlooked my surroundings at every turn. I took a few precious moments to center myself for what should be the most difficult discussion of all time for me. I was soon startled by the flash of lights appearing, which I quickly realized were candle lights given the low, glowing, almost ominous orange color of them. With the new source of light filling my once desolate vision, I could now make out actual details of the room I was in.

There was a large black bed that sat toward the upper right corner of the room. The way it was positioned away from the room's 3 windows, all dressed up in black curtains seemed almost purposeful, like she was trying to avoid direct contact with as much sun-light as possible. I briefly looked down at the ground where I was standing to check my current position in the room. I then quickly shifted my glance to the left and right, there was a large drawer to the right that was overseen by a medium sized vanity mirror. The top of the drawer had a couple of personal items strewn about it as well. A black brush, some nail polish containers that said "Black as Ink" on the front, and a grey, slightly dusty book that said "The Best of Edgar Allen Poe Vol.3" on the front cover. So far, the room was about as precise a description as I could imagine giving seeing as whom it belonged to.

I shifted my eyes to the upper right corner of the room to find a poster of a large raven. It had blood red eyes, spreading it's wings and flying over what looked like a cornfield of some kind, overlooked by a fairly ominous looking red sky. Beneath that poster I could make out the names of famous classical musicians, such as Beethoven, Ludwig, Tchaikovsky, and others I'm not familiar with at all. This genre of music isn't exactly my forte to be frank. The few names I am familiar with were all ones I learned in school.

Upon taking in all these details, I briefly snapped back to reality in knowing that Wednesday was still nowhere to be found. I couldn't even hear the presence of another person, creature, or thing anywhere in the room so far. There wasn't any tapping, footsteps, breathing, or anything of the sort to tip me off to someone, or something else being in the room.

Finally, I decided I'd waited in suspense long enough and walked over to where the door where the raven poster was. Before I could come into range of it however, I caught the faintest glimpse of some shelves positioned higher than everything I've seen thusly. The shelves had what looked to be dolls that sat in neat organization apart from one another. It wasn't until I got a better look at **_one _**crucial feature that I practically flung back in absolute horror. The dolls were all missing various limbs! Some were missing heads, others arms or legs that were placed at either their left or right, and some had their eyes neatly removed all together, leaving just two lifeless, pitch black, hollow holes to stare back at me.

I nearly soiled my costume for the 3rd time in one night, and jumping back after what I saw almost had me careen into the large drawer to the right of Wednesday's room. My still injured knee reactively throbbed in pain at the awkward angle I landed on when I jumped back, causing me to curse my easily high strung paranoia even more. I don't know how things like this continue to shock me, but it's probably best for us all that I just wait for Wednesday to come to me. After regaining my senses, I slowly walked over to the center of the room where I stood from before, and just sat right down in the spot. I took a deep breath in order to calm myself as much as possible, before steeling myself to hold a conversation with the figure of my very nightmares for weeks now.

A few minutes go by, and just before I could gather what few remaining cinders of courage I have left and try again at the same door, I hear a flushing noise coming from somewhere in the room. The sounds were somewhat muffled, but I could tell from the direction it was coming from that this had to have been from behind the door I tried entering only 5 minutes ago. Whatever the case, I forced myself back to my feet as I prepared to greet the one person I feared more than anything else in life right now. My heart was thundering in my chest like somebody rapidly pounding on a door with both hands. I've waited at least a week for this moment, to at long last get some damn answers as to why I've been haunted by this girl whether skateboarding or sleeping. This is it!! No more delays, distractions, or terrifying death traps to get in the way. I'm about to get the answers I rightfully deserve, and hopefully I can finally put all this insanity behind me when it's all said and done. I just want this whole ridiculous, God forsaken, mess to be over with already!

A minute went by when the candle lights that provided the only source of visibility I had right now, just went out inexplicably. I gasped in surprise as complete darkness flooded the room instantaneously, which sent my heart rate straight into overdrive. I anxiously darted about the room to see if I could make out the sight of Wednesday anywhere, but only found nothing as the room was just too dark to make out even minute details compared to what I could see from before. A cold sweat began to break out around my neck as the once warm blood coursing throughout my veins began to chill over and freeze in place for the umpteenth time this night. I turned my back to where I knew the door was positioned in a blind panic, totally oblivious to the light, creeping, footsteps that were silently gaining in sound with each passing second. I was so caught up in the fact that my world view had just been plunged into an abyss that I'd forgotten I have 4 other senses in place of sight.

I began to let out stammering, rushed breaths as I just waited for whatever, or whomever was now in the room with me to end my existence already. I can't fight what I can't see, and I don't even have a weapon of my own to make use of at the moment. I just closed my eyes and waited for the inevitable, only praying to myself that it wouldn't hurt too badly, and perhaps be over with even sooner.

Just then, a tiny little puff of wind gently collided with the back of my neck, causing whatever hair was there to slowly stand up.

... _She's behind me right now isn't she?_, I asked myself without saying a word.

"Hi."

At the very first decibel of that one simple phrase, I rocketed into the air like a saturday morning cartoon character taking something sharp and pointy to the rear. It was a miracle the top of my head didn't actually reach the room's ceiling, but the fact my legs could even propel me with that much force amazed me. I somehow landed on my feet without further injuring my still sore leg, and immediately turned my back to face whomever had just spoken that one word of greeting to me. Sure enough, Wednesday was staring back at me with her usual blank, emotionless, expression and empty stare that managed to put ice cold shivers down my spine even now. She was dressed in her bedroom attire with a long black night-gown that stretched all the way down to her ankles, while holding a small lantern in her left hand. I noticed she re-lit some of the lights that had just gone out, making the room visible once again, but this did little to ease the growing anxiety stirring inside my thundering heart at the moment.

Before I could even attempt to make a reply, she quickly gestured with her right hand over to some chairs that had been quietly pulled open, offering me a seat. I sat in the one closest to me which lined me up perfectly where she was. With us now staring each other down directly, I began to scramble internally as the thought of striking up a conversation with the girl of my literal nightmares was turning out almost frustratingly difficult. How should I go about this? Should I try to smooth the tension out by first asking her if she's enjoyed this year's Halloween, or should I just be bluntly direct and get right to the point of what I need to ask her? I decided to go the gentleman route and try to butter her up a bit. She might be more willing to give some answers if I appeal to her family's love of spookiness and macabre.

"So!... _uh_, this Halloween has turned out really eventful to say the least. I can promise you I've never been to this kind of Halloween party before, haha! Has the challenge been as fun for you as it's been for everyone else this year?

Wednesday offered no immediate reply, her expression of course remained ever painstakingly the same as it had always been. Her cold, blank, emotionless eyes were dead locked onto my own, causing me to grow increasingly paranoid as I felt as though I was being sized up by a hungry predator. My heart began to thump and pound like a machine gun clip being unloaded onto a small group of bad guys. It was thundering in my chest so abruptly it even started to hurt, but only just a bit. I used every ounce of self control or reason I had left to keep as casual an expression on as I could, while simultaneously thinking of where to take the conversation next. My toes curled up tightly as I was struggling for leads on what to say next, when suddenly Wednesday decided to do it for me, using the same quiet, almost indifferent tone to her voice she delivered that greeting with. She spoke up a bit louder this time, but it was nowhere near loud enough to be considered angry or intimidating in any way.

"... That wasn't bad."

Instantly puzzled, I began to wonder just what she could have meant by that. I quickly asked her to elaborate a bit before the conversation could drift too far away from it's intended purpose.

"Umm... what is?"

"Your story, the one you told me in class that day. I find psychology to be missing a lot from modern day horror, and your story focused more on building tension, and creating an unnerving atmosphere that it genuinely impressed me. As an Addams, I've too much pride to admit any fear, but when one of us tells you your story was actually scary, that's as meaningful a compliment as we could possibly offer you."

I-... Is she serious? THIS is the reason she's been haunting me for weeks now?!? Just to tell me my one time story that I used to shut Paul up when l was still in elementary school didn't completely suck? I had no idea how I was meant to take this. I was surprisingly flattered she'd praised a story I spent maybe 5 minutes at best coming up with, but on the other hand I began to realize all of this could have been avoided if I just hadn't been such a damn chicken in the first place.

Be that as it may, I reminded myself to play it cool and just continue on with the conversation. At least we were getting better acquainted, but I couldn't let that distract me from my true goal here. After giving thanks, I went ahead and pushed forward with asking her why I've been having these nightmares for weeks now.

"Anyway, the reason I've been wanting to talk with you is... well, you see lately I've been having these disturbing and vivid nightmares for weeks now. They all begin and end the same way; I'm walking aimlessly on the sidewalk, passing by different streets and neighborhoods I've never once saw before at all, when finally I come across an old, decrepit, abandoned looking mansion. I suddenly stop walking and I can see a thin, human shaped figure dancing around some tombstones to the right of the mansion. Then the gate suddenly opens up, and the figure disappears into the background of the mansion, and I start to walk through the gates yet again."

I paused for a moment to catch my breath, while Wednesday looks a bit bashful at everything I've said so far. I couldn't even begin to imagine how as none of this was exactly pleasant to recall, but I digress. She almost seemed... "familiar" with the story I was telling her, which was prompting me to ask her new questions as to how she could possibly know anything about it, but that can all wait until I'm done telling her my side of the story.

"... _Anyway_, so I start walking anew and cross toward the right side of the mansion to where the figure disappeared to. I soon found myself crossing past multiple tombstones with lit up Jack O' Lanterns on top of them. Finally, I overhear the whimpers of a voice all too familiar to me. I turn in the direction of it to find my only brother, Paul, tied to a wooden stake while also being gagged. My big brother instinct immediately kicked into overdrive and I ran toward where he was to get him down. After that, I got him on my back and did my best to leg it out of there."

Now instead of bashful, Wednesday was beginning to look guilty, almost like she knew who was responsible for tying Paul up to that stake without me even needing to explain it to her. I was starting to get a bit weirded out by how much this story seemed to be affecting her on a personal level, but there wasn't much left of it to talk about thankfully. I proceeded to wrap up what little remained of the dream itself.

"We managed to get past the tombstones and towards the front gate, but before I could push through it, I tripped from a stone on the ground and landed harshly on my right knee. The pain felt so real at that moment, I told myself mentally that it couldn't have been a dream. They aren't supposed to cause any real pain or trauma, no matter how scary they can be. My right knee was in so much agony I couldn't even will myself to stand up right, and that prompted me to tell Paul to go on without me. He began to sob loudly and tried to force me up himself, but there was no way he could force me up and get us both out of there on his own. He finally took my advice and ran out of there, but not before giving me one last painful look of regret before running off into the night."

I took another look at Wednesday to see how this part of the story affected her, and she looked as if though she was on the verge of crying. A surge of regret began to flood me in place of the terror and anxiety that have pretty much become my bed fellows as of late. While I'm pretty adamant on getting whatever answers I can in this moment, making a girl cry, even one as terrifying to me as Wednesday, is never going to be on my list of priorities. I abruptly stopped regaling her with my horror show of a dream pattern, and immediately asked her if she was okay.

"Uhh... Are you alright, Wednesday? Should I keep on going, or do you think you get the picture by now?"

She offered no verbal response, instead swiping her left hand across one of her eyes, and gesturing for me to finally finish up the remainder of the dream itself.

"Alright then... well, I squirmed on the ground for a few agonizing moments, before picking up the sound of light foot-steps crunching some of the leaves on the ground. I turn my back to see the dark, thin, shadowy figure staring directly into my eyes, and with some improved visibility I could see it was... well, it was _you_, Wednesday. I then furiously clawed at the ground in a desperate attempt to get away from you at that moment, but I soon gave up as I knew I couldn't stop you from doing whatever to me. You grabbed me by one of my ankles and dragged me all the way to the back of the mansion. When we got there, you pushed a large, metallic sounding, contraption of some kind to where I was laying, and somehow placed me on it by yourself. When you began to strap my limbs in place, it took me a minute to realize I was being strapped into a medieval torture rack. By that point, I was practically hyperventilating with fear and panic, wordlessly begging you with tears streaming down both my cheeks for you to take some mercy on me, when suddenly you whispered a single question into one of my ears that has stuck with me, even to this very day. You asked me if I was scared, right before pulling a crank which caused me an immeasurable amount of pain, and then finally, just like every other time since then... I wake up."

I started to pant and wheeze a bit as that last part of the dream is always the hardest to remember personally. The pain from my injury just felt so unnaturally _real_, even though anybody with remote sentience would tell you it couldn't be. After regaining my breath and focusing my thoughts on Wednesday, I looked at her to see she wasn't even looking at me anymore. In fact, she wasn't even looking at anything in particular. Her face was in her hands, and I could swear I heard some faint grumbles coming from her, being partially muffled from the fact her mouth was covered at the moment. Please tell me she isn't about to cry right now! I didn't come here for this, hell I'm not even as angry as I probably should be after everything that's happened! All I want are some clear, straight-forward answers, and I'll walk right out of those doors as soon as I can find my friends and brother, never to be seen again.

"Uhh... Wednesday? Hey listen, please don't be upset! I'm not trying to turn this into an interrogation here. I'm also not trying to blame you or anybody in particular, all I want to know is why am I having these dreams, and how can I make them stop?"

"... _I'm sorry_."

"_"

... Say what now?

"What do you mean? What could you possibly be sorry for?"

"... It was me. I'm the reason you've been having these dreams."

My head almost did a 360 at hearing this confession from her. I don't even know if I was meant to be surprised as I couldn't piece together any other reason why I'd be having nightmares like this! Still though, how could somebody else just "make" you have bad dreams like this? A random nightmare is one thing, even if it was terrifyingly vivid and I could _feel_ the pain of my right knee colliding with the hard ground _every, damn, time_, but for whole weeks on end?!? I mean, just what even gives here?!?

"... I knew you were afraid of me. From the moment we met, you've went out of your way to avoid me. You've always been friendly with me though, which I appreciate, but I knew I couldn't just walk up and invite you to my family's annual Halloween challenge. You probably have noticed already, but the other kids in school are even more scared of me than you are. It's been pretty hard trying to fit in or make friends since Pugsley can't come to school with me anymore, so that's why I decided to try an old trick my grandmother taught me a couple of years ago. I snuck a bit of potion I asked my grandmother to make in your milk carton that day. It contained a powerful hallucinogenic drug that can cause nightmares based on the greatest fears the victim possesses. It must have manifested in the 2 things you fear most of all..."

A major piece of the puzzle was finally dumped square in my lap. In just this one instance, everything was beginning to make sense. That's not to say I have a clue in hell as to how she snuck the drug into my milk that day, but at least it put things into a perspective I could actually make sense of. Now that I knew _why_ I've been having this nightmare over and over again, it was time now to discern how I could stop having it for good.

"Aside from the fact you thought you had to drug me just to get me to come to your house, I can appreciate your honesty at least. If you don't mind my asking though, how can I get this nightmare to stop finally?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. I asked Grandma to produce a special tonic that should purge whatever remains of the drug in your system. You should be back to your old self in just a day if you take it after dinner or something like that."

I'd say that takes care of that concern! I think my time here is just about finished up then. I just have to bid Wednesday a good night, find my crew, and get the hell back home never to return again! I began to do just that as Wednesday told me how to stop the nightmares from happening.

"That's great!! I think that'll be the night for me then. Thanks again for listening to what I had to say, and I hope you and your family have even scarier Halloweens than this one in the future. Not that I know how that'd _happen_ exactly, but then again, I'm not an Addams!"

I lifted myself up from the chair I'd been squatting on for about 10 minutes now, somewhat abruptly as I was in a hurry to get out of this place already! I have no idea how in THE hell I'm expected to explain even half of what's happened here, but maybe I can convince my folks to go easy on Paul while they're grounding _me _into oblivion.

Just before I started to advance toward the door that her brother practically hurled me through before, I felt a soft hand grasp my left wrist as I proceeded to make my way out of the room. I turned my head to find out we were now basically staring each other dead in the eyes, causing me to blush a bit as it wasn't often a girl my age got this close to me.

"I just want you to know, that I'm really sorry for everything I've put you through. I can understand if you'd never want to see me again, but for what it's worth, you've impressed me more than anyone who's ever accepted our challenge before. Your little brother should be blessed to have a sibling like you."

Even though I was still in a hurry to leave this place, my face couldn't help but turn beet red at everything she just told me. Besides my own parents, I can't remember a single time anyone has ever flattered me to such a regard before.

"_Wow_... Thanks Wednesday. That actually means a lot coming from you!"

I extended my right hand to her out of a sense of politeness, which she accepted without hesitation. I finally got a real look at her face and hair for the first time since I've known her. It was far from my first time having looked at her of course, but I guess I never really took the time to truly study her features before. I have to admit, she really _is_ pretty cute. Not that I can concern myself with that right now, but it was nice to know Paul wasn't lying to me... _for once_.

I then briskly made my way out of her room, and back out to Pugsley's bedroom, where he was staring me down with both of his arms crossed. Seriously, this again? I mean c'mon man, if you wanted to punch my lights out _that_ badly, you've had more than enough opportunities to do so throughout tonight alone.

To my utter shock however, he instead gave me his right hand. This could either be a miracle, or I'm walking into the most obvious trap imaginable right now. Regardless, I decided to accept it just to keep things as friendly as they could be given I'm almost out of here anyway.

"I hate to admit it, but everything you've done tonight was really brave Stewart. I'm sorry I've been so harsh to you when you've done nothing to deserve it. It's just on the day you passed out, Wednesday came back home so depressed she hasn't spoken to anyone until tonight. I've known her all my life, and when someone whom you've known since forever just randomly decides to stop talking to you... _well_, I trust you could imagine what that'd feel like? What with you being an older brother and all..."

For as rude as he's been all the times we've ever interacted, I couldn't deny Pugsley had a good point here. Even though me and Paul are usually at each other's throats, we've never fully given each other the silent treatment before. We're both essentially each other's best friends when our own friends can't be there to hang out with us. It never even crossed my mind to just ignore him whenever he's being a pain in the ass. It might actually be worth trying out some time! It could be nice to have an ace in the hole over his head for a change...

"Ahh, it's all right man! No hard feelings whatsoever, and I'm sorry to hear Wednesday decided to just stop talking to you like that. I hope everything can return to normal for you after this whole evening has finally concluded. It's definitely been a Halloween I can't see myself forgetting anytime soon, haha!"

With that, he let my hand go and offered me a warm smile before gently stepping aside, and allowing me to exit his very disturbing bedroom. I was instantly greeted with Gomez and Morticia's beaming faces as they seemed all too glad to see me once again.

"Ahh finally, you've returned to us! Come follow us both to where your friends are. They should be most elated to see you join them once again I imagine!"

With this, Gomez grabbed one of my shoulders with a light, but firm grasp, and his beloved wife soon followed his example. They led me through the hall-way, to a sealed off room next to where the stair-case which led to this hall-way stood. After reciting what I could only assume was a family known password, the door quickly opened up to reveal a rather desolate looking corridor which had the door of a large, steel, vault all the way at the other end. We approached the vault door in a matter of moments, before Morticia gently covered my eyes as Gomez began to undo the vault's lock. I could hear a loud groan as the probably decades old vault finally opened up to reveal what could only be described as a sugar addict's paradise. There were huge mountains of candy practically toppling over one another, and each contained products that just as advertised, I had no clue as to where on earth they could be from. I was utterly overwhelmed at the sight! It was like getting the world's best sugar high without even taking the first bite yet.

Gomez and Morticia walked in front of me to address my now gaping maw as it begun to almost salivate with drool.

"Judging by your entranced reaction, it seems our promises were in fact all too valid."

I just barely snapped out of my hunger induced coma to realize I was drooling over candy that I told myself I didn't even need before. I recomposed myself in just a few seconds before asking where my friends even were.

"O-Oh! Sorry, I just didn't expect all this would be so much to take in. Where are my friends right now though? They seemed pretty excited at collecting some candy before we've all gotta head home."

"They've been waiting for you this whole time my dear boy, and besides the rewards they've collected, we have you another prize we'd like you to have!"

Gomez pulled out a small brown bag that felt like it could have been made by bat leather or something. Not that I'd know what that would even feel like exactly, but it makes about as much sense as anything else does with this family. My memories rushed back to the tonic Wednesday mentioned before I left her room! This must be it then, what else could it be?

"This bag contains a special tonic that should clear up the unfortunate night terrors you've been suffering. Please ensure you take it after having consumed some solid food as when taken on an empty stomach, it may produce unwanted side effects that you would rather not endure."

I didn't have to be told _that _twice. I gently took the small bag from Gomez's hand before turning my attention to the whereabouts of my friends.

"Thanks so much sir! If my friends are done collecting candy, I think it's about time we all returned home though. Would it be too much to ask for if we could all have a ride back?"

Gomez happily chuckled at this sincere request, before responding to it in kind with his somewhat jolly disposition.

"You believe we would have you go back the way you came on foot? Nonsense child! I plan to drive you back to all your homes personally!"

My heart swelled with a mixture of relief and gratitude at this. There's no way in _hell_ I have the energy to ride all the way back home on my skate-board, but I didn't want to be an inconvenience to anyone given they'd already been so kind with me as is. With this new info in mind, I decided to focus my attention squarely on where I could find my friends now.

Gomez and Morticia began to lead me around the side of one of the massive mountains of candy. I could make out the smiling faces of my friends and brother immediately as their pockets had been stuffed with plenty of treats to last them at least a few months if not more. Paul predictably stored as much as he could carry within his costume, which suggested he actually thought about me for once! Maybe things are starting to change after all...

"I see you guys have been busy. Anyone else ready to go home?"

Everyone gave me a resounding thumbs up at that question before walking up to where I was standing. Paul had a mischievous grin on his face before bringing something interesting to my attention.

"You curious at all about what happened to Bobby, Marcus, and all the other losers that didn't follow the rules as planned?"

My right eyebrow instantly raised itself up at this. Just what was Paul getting at here, and how were any of us supposed to know about what happened to the other kids?

"I'm not sure how that's relevant to us getting out of here, but I'll bite. What happened to everyone else Paul?"

Jason and Tommy just shared an equally devious, knowing look as they regarded what Paul said as if they knew _exactly_ what it was he meant.

"Oh you'll see Stew... _you'll see_." Jason stated, with a hint of laughter to his tone of voice.

Now I was beyond curious as to what they were getting at here. I was just as anxious to get some payback on Bobby and Marcus as anyone else, but as the old saying goes, there's a time and place for everything. Am I the only one among this group that understands this simple fact? Sighing inwardly, I decided to go ask Gomez and Morticia what it was they could have meant.

I approached both of them in less than a minute before gently asking what my goofy friends were prattling on about.

"I'm sorry Mr and Ms Addams, but my friends say they "know" what happened to all the other contestants whom participated in the challenge? Do you have any idea what they could mean by it?"

Gomez and Morticia simply looked at one another with knowing smirks, before turning to look at me and answer.

"I believe you will be most... _satisfied_ with what we've prepared for your treacherous friends, as well as the other children that fought with one another throughout tonight. Follow me if you would to see for yourself."

Gomez led me to an odd looking mine cart track of some kind, with my friends and bro quickly following behind me as he did so. From this point, I could see the gagged faces of Bobby and Marcus tied together, along side a bunch of other kids I didn't recognise all about to go on what looked like the ride of their lives. I swallowed a rather noticeably loud gulp as though this was meant for me instead of everyone else present in those carts. I wanted to get revenge on Bobby and Marcus as much as anyone, but I'm not even close to being _this_ sadistic!

"Umm... excuse me Mr. Addams, but what exactly is all this?"

"Hoh-Hoh-Hoh... let us say child, these children will all be going on the ride of their lives for what they've done here tonight!"

I could see the fear and panic evident in both Bobby and Marcus's eyes. They were practically calling out to me in a desperate plea for their lives, but after what they tried to pull tonight, I just don't have any sympathy left in me by this point. It's one thing to try and take me out, but you never try to take out friends or loved ones too. Not in _my_ book you don't!

"I see... _well_, make sure to give em some extra scares on the part of all of us. I'd most appreciate it by far!" I said without even a trace of sympathy left in my voice.

"Now then! With all this being said, I believe it's about time we got you boys home, safe and sound. Our butler Lurch will drive you home himself. We've already contacted all your parents, and it's thanks to them we now have the directions to all your homes!"

_Gulp_... okay, _now_ I'm positive I'm getting grounded for life.

**A/N: What a wonderful experience writing this sequel has been!! I do apologize for how long it's taken me to update and push this chapter out, but if there was a better time to finish it up than right around Halloween, I couldn't honestly tell you! I've suffered writer's block amongst a number of personal issues that have made putting words to text far harder than they have any right to be, but thankfully for me the next chapter will be the final one. I sincerely thank any and all that have had the patience to keep up with it all, and rest assured the final chapter is just around the corner! Peace and blessings be upon you all, and I look forward to seeing you again in chapter 13!!!** **:)**


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